We Discuss #2 is coming up! Last week, we posted this month’s theme and topics. Below is a short list of materials that will hopefully be useful in the discussion.
Crossing Borders with Dave Lumenta
“With a country as an identity, people tend to categorize what you can do and what you are like. Sometimes it is a stigma. A nation’s identity can facilitate many things as racism and segregation.”
If the saying goes “Don’t miss the forest for the trees,” perhaps there is also something that needs to be said for the opposite. Focusing on the bigger picture – the forest, or in this case, the country – will make us forget about the individual dots and lines – the people. And yet the so-called passport country is still a big part of a person’s identity, making it difficult to get rid of stereotypes and discrimination.
“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says ‘Morning, boys. How's the water?’ And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes ‘What the hell is water?’”
To summarize his little story, Foster Wallace then said, “The point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about.” Are we, like the young fish, unaware of the environment – whether cultural, political or otherwise – that shapes us?
The transcript of the original speech is available here.
by Colum McCann
"It struck me that distant cities are designed precisely so you can know where you came from."
Do we need to leave “home” to understand it better? How does migration, or even travelling, affect our sense of self with regards to our country of origin?
by Michael J. Sandel
“With belonging comes responsibility. You can't really take pride in your country and its past if you're unwilling to acknowledge any responsibility for carrying its story into the present, and discharging the moral burdens that may come with it.”
How relevant is national loyalty in a highly interconnected world such as the one we live in today?
(For those who are interested on the topic of justice, check out Michael J. Sandel’s series of lectures here.)
by Richard Bellamy
“Just as citizenship seems to be becoming the universal panacea for every problem, it seems that the really distinctive aspect of citizenship – that’s participation in voting and elections, and in collectively solving problems through forming a government – seems to be in decline. Everywhere that you have elections, you’re now seeing fewer and fewer people involved.”
He speaks about lower levels of political participation, and how citizenship is transforming into something that is more private than public. Are nations a thing of the past? Are we now turning to clustered communities that pursue their own interests? Can this model actually bring about positive changes?
Richard Bellamy briefly explains the contents of his book in this video.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
7–9 pm
Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan
(near the language section)
Jl. Asia Afrika 8
Sogo Plaza Senayan Lt. 5
Jakarta 10270
Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and Twitter account for more details! For those of you who would like to join our event, there is still time to sign up via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! If you have questions, don’t hesitate to tweet us @wjournal.
As you may have read in our interview with music afficionado David Tarigan, is looking to be the premiere Indonesian music archive. I have been getting into Indonesian music lately as well and I am happy to know that since August 17th (Indonesia's independence day, if you didn't know) The website still sports a modest catalogue and a couple of blogposts, but you can definitely see the potential of the site. All records liner notes are listed and all information can be cross-referenced, making your information digging very easy. Definitely keep this website on your "Favorites" tab, and look for additions to their growing library!
Not all musicians are brave enough to release their own album. Especially when the band consists of only one person doing the entire vocal, guitar, bass, drum, composing and programming himself. But Ababil Ashari answers the challenge and under the moniker Shorthand Phonetics, he recorded his new EP titled with only webcam microphone and computer. Originally consisting of five members, Shorthand Phonetics has now released six albums, eleven EP and few film scores. Released under the label of (owned by Ababil himself), this short EP consists of three lo-fi but catchy songs.
Shorthand Phonetics’ releases are a creative way of storytelling the life of a Japanese national, Hanabishi Hideaki. Presented in short, personal notes as if written by Hide himself, this EP depict his state of mind through the lyrics and tunes. The first song in the EP, ,features fun punk/rock feel with energetic drumbeats. The track list continues with a slow bass intro from , which then turns into frantic guitar strumming along with the synthesized vocal. The EP ends with a slower guitar-and-vocal only-song titled .
Despite being a one-man band and armed with only webcam microphone and computer, Shorthand Phonetics’ lo-fi recording manages to transfer the story of the music. If you are looking for good music to treat your ear, the EP is available for sale here and the physical CD is available here.
01. The Standard Model (Of Love)
02. Jumpin'
03. The Reconnection, or, How Things Kinda Worked Out for Jet Girl in the End (At Least She Still Has All Her Hair)
Being said as one of human’s biggest inspiration, it’s not at all hard to find love-themed music. One of the groups that take love as their inspiration is the Indonesian/Malaysian band, . These five Indonesian-born tied the knot as a band during their stay in Malaysia as college students and has released an EP titled The Modern Seasons at 2006 and their debut album, Losing Northern Lights around 2008. Earlier this year, they released their sophomore album, Colours of Joy, with a little help in distribution from Demajors who worked with many indie musicians such as Endah & Rhesa, Soulvibe, and Efek Rumah Kaca to name a few.
The album, consisting of 11 songs plus 1 bonus remix, portrays love in different angles from celebration of love in and to devastating post-breakup song like and . With acoustic guitar-piano combination, Lightcrafts brings calm feeling in but then shape-shifted it to a different vibe with the Crash & I’m A’s remix. A little Coldplay and Snow Patrol can also be felt here and there, such as in and . Overall, these 12 tracks are expressions of various love stories conveyed in euphonious tunes.
Although titled ‘Colours of Joy’, the album delivers a melancholic feel with their sentimental lyrics. The tracks in this album are definitely considerable to add to your playlist to accompany long road trips or gloomy Sunday.
Tracklist:
If you don’t mind
Amazing grace
This plastic love
Get your own way
Bonfire
The other side of the glass
Fire with fire
Starlit eyes
Love songs and lullabies
Living in words and letters
Hello goodbye
bonus track:
fire with fire (crash & I’m A remix)
For more information about Lightcraft:
www.facebook.com/lightcratmusic
www.soundcloud.com/lightcraft
www.twitter.com/lightcraftmusic
www.youtube.com/user/lightcraftvideos
www.vimeo.com/lightcraftmusic
is back! Last month, we talked about education. The theme of the next meeting is . Our discussion will revolve around — though certainly not limited to — the following topics.
“I am a citizen of the world,” said Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, at a time when airplanes and the Internet had not yet been invented. Today, we find ourselves in a world where international migration occurs so frequently that summarizing our sense of self in one sentence just won’t cut it. Is it really possible to become who Diogenes claimed to be? Was he simply rejecting the influence of his roots?
- “Homeland” vs. “Passport country”
- How does the way we relate to our roots affect our perception of the world?
- Only other people call us by our names. We only say them when we are introducing ourselves to others. Is this also the case for one’s nationality, cultural background, religion, etc.?
- Can we understand ourselves better by living among people whose ways are different from our own?
- Does the ease with which we can travel from one place to another increase our connection to our roots or does continuous exposure to a mix of cultural influences diminish/erase that connection?
- One’s passport country is still a physical place regardless of the identity we have shaped for ourselves. But is national loyalty still relevant in this cosmopolitan era?
- Do advanced technologies such as gadgets and the Internet create an illusion of "world citizenship"?
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
7–9 pm
Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan
Jl. Asia Afrika 8
Sogo Plaza Senayan Lt. 5
Jakarta 10270
Please look out for updates on our Facebook page and Twitter account! If you are looking for a forum to express your opinions, register via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! Or if you have questions, tweet us .
We're saddened by the news that jazz keyboardist extraordinaire had passed away at the age of 67 at his home in Los Angeles, California. His extensive career has seen him play for some of the biggest names in modern music: , , , , , to name just six, as well as being sampled by countless hip-hop and house producers. To honour his extraordinary services to music, please enjoy this fantastic tribute made by of and , which has been featured on 's site a few years ago.
Backstage Life Bareng Grrrl Gang di Episode Kelima Vindy Ngapain?
Tahun ini Grrrl Gang mendapatkan kesempatan untuk menjadi salah satu line up di We The Fest 2019, dan Vindy diperbolehkan untuk mengikuti aktivitas mereka.
Tahun ini Grrrl Gang mendapatkan kesempatan untuk menjadi salah satu line up di We The Fest 2019, dan Vindy diperbolehkan untuk mengikuti aktivitas mereka.
Son of another Indonesian great, multi-instrumentalist-Jack Lesmana, Indra Lesmana is a child prodigy who learned how to master the keys at a young age, with his first performances done at the age of ten to an audience of hundreds and thousands, and his first album released when he was 12 years old. From child to adulthood, Indra Lesmana has dedicated his life to music.
With currently over 50 albums released, his musical endeavors are not restricted to jazz, Indra Lesmana has also released a multitude of critically acclaimed pop records, winning a BASF Award for his meaningful pop numbers. Currently busy promoting the first LLW record, LLW being his modern jazz trio with bassist-Barry Likumahuwa and drummer-Sandy Winarta, Indra Lesmana spared some time our of his busy schedule to talk to W_Music about some highlights from his three decade-long career, LLW, and leaves the viewers and aspiring musicians some words of wisdom. Enjoy!
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Invent Your Future
Temukan siapa dirimu dan bagaimana karaktermu menentukan arah masa depan.
