Pandai Besi Crowdfunding Concert

It started around February 2013 when the experimental side of Efek Rumah Kaca, Pandai Besi, announced the idea of recording their first album at Lokananta. As the first recording company existed in Indonesia, Lokananta is a big part of Indonesia music history where now 40,000 vinyls from the 80’s are archived. Its legendary huge acoustic studio is where Pandai Besi dreamed to live-record their music at. When Pandai Besi raised a crowd-funding project to realize this dream, many hands were willing to donate and support. It reminds us to a quote by John Lennon: a dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together is reality. The crowd-funding succeed, and thus, the birth of Daur, Baur.

As the closing of the crowdfunding event, a grateful gesture, Pandai Besi held its first solo concert at GoetheHaus Institut (01/08) where all the crowdfunders were invited. Children books were the ticket price; each guest had to bring one book as donation for kids via Indonesia Menyala, and got some kind of maracas in exchange. The lobby was filled with people with their enthusiasm to see Pandai Besi, along with the jiggling sound on their hands as they move around the lobby, waiting to get in.

At about 8 pm, the show started with a video narration, and then a pantomime act from Raymond Farly putting on Daur,Baur on vinyl player, followed by the drum intro of ‘Debu-Debu Berterbangan’. Cholil on vocal-guitar, Akbar on drum, Poppie on bass, Hans on guitar, Asra on keyboard, Agustinus Panji on trumpet, Irma and Nastasha on background vocals, are the 8 personnel of Pandai Besi who were about to mesmerize the audience, with a strong background vocal addition from Monica Hapsari.

The tunes of Pandai Besi are simple yet intricate. Dramatic, gloomy, and hauntingly beautiful. It excites you with all the new details while you can still feel the sense of familiarity as you vaguely trace the original notes. ‘Jalang’, ‘Hujan Jangan Marah’, ‘Melankolia’, and ‘Desember’ are the several numbers of Efek Rumah Kaca songs that are now also part of Pandai Besi. On the showcase, the combination of the music, the repetitive background video, and the theatrical act when being infused altogether could bring tears to your eyes, as it was harmoniously hypnotizing.

The atmosphere changed once the MC, Saleh Husein and Angganggok, came on stage. After the screening of Pandai Besi’s journey to Lokananta, they explained to the audience about Pandai Besi and its family tree. The duo lit up the room with laughter from all the teasing and joking. They made us recognized the presence of Adrian, ERK’s bassist who haven’t joined the band since his illness, among the audience seats. After the short interview with Adrian on his thought about Pandai Besi, some of the crowdfunders were invited on stage to share why they joined the project, and Pandai Besi gave a gift to them, symbolically as to show their gratitude toward all the crowdfunders.

The show resumed with ‘Laki-Laki Pemalu’, ‘Jangan Bakar Buku’, and ‘Di Udara’. ‘Menjadi Indonesia’, which was the last number on setlist, brought a festive end where all the audience standing up and shaking the maracas. The whole Pandai Besi – Daur, Baur project is an example of independent music at its best. It is truly heart-warming to see the mutual relationship between ERK-Pandai Besi and their listeners, how they collectively gather what they have, all hand-in-hand making it happens.

(Photos by Andriani N. P.)