Thematic Playlist – “Skripsian 2000s”

Music has always been a great escape from harsh reality for me and I have always said that. As a musician myself, it’s natural for me to turn to music whenever I feel stressed out, sad, depressed, or have other negative emotions. In fact, I also listen to music no matter what I feel. When I’m not listening to any music, I find myself having a soundtrack playing in my mind when I do something. Of course, there are times I don’t have any music playing in my mind but most of the time, my mind is occupied by music or, rather, there is a special spot in my mind where music is on, accompanying my activities. 

Besides playing music, one of the musical things I love to do is crafting thematic playlists. You know, like those on Spotify or Apple Music (does AM have thematic playlists? Because I’m not on the platform but I am pretty sure they have ones). Like Memo Paris’s perfumes or Maison Margiela’s “Replica” fragrance collection, my playlists are the translation of moments I have experienced myself or imagined. Most of my playlists are personal, meaning that the scenarios depicted are based on real-life experiences. Some moments have a certain je ne sais quoi that makes them very personal, and this might be a challenge for me as others might have different feelings or opinions about a moment or a situation. 

One of the playlists I made (and I am proud of) is called “Skripsian 2000s”. It’s a cross-language, cross-genre playlist and is on Spotify so if you are curious about it, feel free to check it out and add it to your library. Taken from the Indonesian word “skripsi”—meaning “final paper”, the playlist is inspired by popular music in the 2000s played by undergraduate students who are staying up late to work on their final paper or thesis. I was still in primary and junior high school in the 2000s and this might raise the question, “How did I get inspired?”. 

My parents are professors at a university and there were times my dad had to basically “live” at his office due to a project and he could really stay there for several days. He had a team and it consisted of not only his fellow professors but also some students. There was a pretty big room where his teammate students “co-lived” and worked. It had a big sofa, armchairs, desks, and computers with internet access. There were also tall bookcases serving as room dividers where behind them were some mattresses for a good night’s sleep or a quick nap. There was a TV I guess but the students never really watched it so it was always off. Back then during a summer break (we don’t have summer breaks here in Indonesia, don’t we?), when I felt bored at home, I would ask my dad if I could come with him to his office so I could browse the internet without having to share the computer with my siblings, and when I was allowed to come, the room that I visited would be the students’ room (or should we say the “co-working” space). I remember one time I really had to stay overnight because, well, my dad still had some work to do with his team and I was told to stay in the co-working space. I was allowed to use one of the computers there so I spent the night revamping my Myspace and Friendster profiles and watching YouTube videos. Some students who were working there played various music from their computers, from alternative and indie to jazz pop and J-pop. A student asked if I wanted some coffee and I said yes. I didn’t recall what time I decided to call it a night but I had a good evening, browsing the internet, learning new things, watching videos, and trying to be a cool guy on Myspace and Friendster. I slept on the sofa, using my jacket as a blanket. 

That moment became an inspiration for me to craft “Skripsian 2000s” playlist. Of course, I included some C-pop and K-pop tunes that musically align with the playlist’s theme to give my own personal touch. Most of the tracks are from the 2000s and older but perhaps there are some tracks from the 2010s found on the list. Expect a plethora of Indonesian pop songs as, well, I live in Indonesia. Aerosmith, Radiohead, Saybia, and even Avenged Sevenfold also make their appearance on the list. 

Please enjoy the playlist, give it a heart or add it to your library!

Smiling Face

When it comes to music, I knew I have always loved Pachelbel’s Canon chord progression, which goes like this: I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V. There are of course several variations or modifications to the progression, and one of my favourite variations is this one: I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – ii – V. The progression—and its variations—is used widely, serving as a structure for titles such as Green Day’s Basket Case, Vitamin C’s Graduation, Maroon 5’s Memories, Shane Filan’s Beautiful in White, and Sweetbox’s Life is Cool. Korean pop ballads such as TaeYeon’s If, Tiffany Young’s Ring, Lee Mujin’s Rain and You, Hot Potato’s Confession, and Yoon Do-hyun’s Autumn Outside the Post Office are also built on this progression (or its variations). 

Whenever I hear a song with this chord progression, I will usually search for it on YouTube. If I cannot identify the singer and the title, I usually just listen to the lyrics, enter a line I fetch to Google, and let the search engine do the rest. There is also Shazam ready on my phone for such a situation. Yesterday, while on Instagram, there was a video featuring a Japanese song in Canon chord progression. Since I don’t speak Japanese, I use Shazam to identify the title and the singer. It is Egao (笑顔, meaning “smile” or “smiling face”) from the Japanese pop duo Ikimono Gakari. And, oh, I just learnt that they used to be a group of three until guitarist Hotaka Yamashita decided to leave the group.

Ikimono Gakari. Mizuno Yoshiki (vocal/guitar), Yoshioka Kiyoe (vocal), Hotaka Yamashita (guitar/harmonica)

Musically, Egao reminds me of Yui Aragaki’s rendition of Kobukuro’s Akai Ito (赤い糸, meaning “red string of fate”) as they share quite a lot of similarities. Both are written in D major. There is a pretty good portion of distortion and overdrive without rendering the music too heavy on my ears. The strings section makes the song orchestral, which sounds much better. Egao, however, is on the more upbeat and cheerful side while Akai Ito takes pride in its sentimentality and sweet love story. 

Egao is also the ending theme for Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened. In terms of the lyrics, the song basically centers around optimism, love, happiness, and a positive outlook on life. I had my dark hours yesterday and upon listening to this song, I couldn’t help but cry (and yes, I cried a lot yesterday), albeit not understanding the lyrics. I feel something powerful in this song, like great energy or something to lift me up so I eventually searched for the translation of the lyrics. I found one from this article and the lyrics are simply beautiful. 

That’s why I want to put out a radiant smile, that’s why I want to always be by your side
You are an irreplaceable friend, I want to keep on protecting you
You’re always there for me, just this tiny miracle
Warms my heart above all, that’s why I want to grow stronger

The flowers are still blooming, as I take a small step forward
In the days that had become memories, we’ve parted ways again and again

No matter where and no matter when, your voice remains bright and cheerful
You’re always a shining beacon in my life, giving me the right push forward

I want to be tender, you said something like that once
Take out all of the painful burdens hidden in my heart

That’s right. When I see your smile, I could do anything
Perhaps I’m pushing myself too hard, but somehow, I’m overflowing with courage
Just as the flowers wilt and bloom, happiness will appear again and again
Just live on, that’s why I want to grow stronger

Finding myself unable to apologize and venting away those frustrations
There’s no use in throwing a tantrum to the one closest to you

I want to be happy, so don’t be afraid to receive
And earnestly look for something definite

In the unbearable loneliness, when you are all alone
I want to act like a fool, recklessly reaching out to you
Although mutual understanding can be difficult, I can share those burdens
Because I’m right next to you, because I’m always by your side

It’s always in the center of my heart, that which I cherished
Your tender hands seem to wrap into mine, I hold them tightly

There are little sad things sometimes, there are little happy things sometimes
Smiling at everything is fine, embracing it all and living on are all fine
Even if everything would change again, the flower will still have to bloom
In order to achieve happiness, in order to walk the journey with you

There are days of tears in laughter, there are days of laughter in tears
Just live on, that’s why I want to grow stronger

Music has always been a great escape for me and as life gets harder for me, this song serves as a warm blanket for my soul. Egao helps me feel a bit better, shedding some optimism to my day. And as I continue listening to this song (just like what I usually do to new favourite tunes), I really hope that I can gain greater strength to face the life ahead of me while cherishing the moments of togetherness with those I love so dearly.

Eaten by A Tiger

I take pride in my music collection. Ever since I was a kid (I was in elementary school), I already knew how to download files from the internet, including music from free music websites (don’t be like me, guys. Get your music legally). It helped me get the music I love and as time went by, my collection grew bigger and bigger. I don’t know the exact number but my music collection has reached about 30 to 40 gigabytes which, for me, is pretty crazy. New musicians emerge and new songs are released, and I am pretty sure my collection is still growing, even though I haven’t been in a download frenzy for quite a long time. 

Genre-wise, my collection varies greatly. It ranges from classical and jazz to indie pop and vaporwave. Korean pop tunes are juxtaposed with shidaiqu from the 1920s, and disco house tunes are played alongside Dolly Parton and The Mamas and The Papas in a shuffle list. One of the precious gems in my collection is a playlist of Dutch-Indies music comprising a number of artists, including The Blue Diamonds and Wieteke van Dort. Speaking of Dutch-Indies music, one cannot simply forget Wieteke van Dort, a Dutch singer-actress who rose to fame in the 1960s when she began her career in the entertainment industry as a comedian. It was in the late 1970s, however, that her popularity peaked when she hosted a program entitled The Late Late Lien Show, through which she introduced her character, Tante Lien.

Van Dort has released a number of albums but the one that I have (and I feel is the most memorable) is 25 Jaar als Tante Lien, a compilation album commemorating the show’s 25th anniversary. The album is home to the songs van Dort performed in her show, and some are the ones Indonesians (including me as an Indonesian millennial) are familiar with. Popular opuses include Geef Mij Maar Nasi Goreng (Give Me My Nasi Goreng), Terang Boelan (“Moonlit” or “Full Moon”), Jalan Kenangan (Road of Memories), and the melancholic Hallo Bandoeng (Hello, Bandung)—which is argued by some to be the inspiration behind the patriotic song Halo, Halo Bandung, albeit having a significantly different meaning or plot.

Van Dort, Tante Lien, and her 25 Jaar als Tante Lien allow me to catch a glimpse of how people lived back then, especially in the colonial era. The Late Late Lien Show itself had quite a unique concept; the show was designed like a koempoelan or gathering attended by Dutch people who had settled in Indonesia, as well as popular Indonesian artists in that era. In every episode, Tante Lien and her guests would reminisce about their good olden days in Indonesia (or, precisely, the Dutch East Indies). Tante Lien would also perform some songs with the show’s home band, The Sate Babi Boys (I remember laughing pretty hard when I saw one of the episodes for the first time on YouTube and Tante Lien introduced the band at the beginning of the episode because of the name. Sate babi means pork satay in Indonesian). In one episode, Tante Lien reminisced about the time when the development of technology gave birth to wonderful innovations, and one of the creations that change the lives of many is the telephone. It was also during this episode that Tante Lien performed Hallo Bandoeng. Arranged as a musical piece for vocal and piano, the song tells a story of an old woman who talks to her son (who lives in Indonesia) through telephone—the technology that amazes and connects her to someone she loves so dearly who lives thousands of miles away. The woman lives long enough to hear the voice of her grandson before falling to the floor and seemingly passing away. 

Hallo Bandoeng is not the only sad, emotional, or otherwise “quirky” song in the album. Afscheid van Indie is a farewell song from Van Dort to people who surrounded her during her days in the Dutch East Indies such as her nannies and gardeners. Arm Den Haag is a song “mocking” Den Haag. Klappermelk met Suiker is a fun, upbeat song with a Hawaiian vibe, telling a story about a girl who wants nothing but coconut milk with sugar. And there is one particular song that might sound relaxing but is actually pretty scary and quite gory—Sarina. 

Sarina is the 22nd track in the album (at least that’s what my iTunes shows me). Some sources mention Ismail Marzuki as the composer/writer of the song. The song opens with a short intro featuring a melody of Hawaiian guitar, sort of giving me a calm, SpongeBob music, and this is a “trap” for me. As someone who does not speak Dutch, I understand almost nothing, except some lines written in Indonesian so I didn’t see the horror coming (and I didn’t expect it at all). The plot focuses on Sarina, a village girl who works as a farmer. She works in the field and meets Kromo, another farmer. They both fall in love and have sex in an area enclosed by alang-alang (speargrass). Unbeknownst to the lovebirds, a tiger lurks and eventually devours them, enjoying them for “dinner”, leaving behind the “small bones”. The trees growing around the area are in sorrow the next morning as beneath them, lie the bones of the lovers.

Recently, I saw the news about an old woman who was devoured by a large python. The woman worked as a farmer and went missing. Her family reported the situation and when the locals searched the forest for her, they found a python whose body showed an unusual shape, as if the serpent had just swallowed something big. The locals killed the snake and cut open its body, only to find the body of the poor old woman inside. This, of course, was reported as serious news. Sarina, on the other hand, depicted the tragedy in a rather romantic way, transforming the horror into a soothing waltz. It is beautiful and scary at the same time. It is a haunting song that shows how love can lead to a tragic untimely demise, in contrast with the song’s innocent arrangement.