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| Bandung death band LUMPUR returns with great new EP Skema Pembalasan Sempurna. In our interview John Yoedi talks with Putra of Lumpur. |
By John Yoedi, 18 December 2011
Ladies and Gentlemen! here is Putra from Lumpur...
OK, here is our talk...
JY : Hello Putra, how are you? Thanks for your time to be interviewed by 'Busukwebzine’. It is a point of pride for us, to be able to interview Lumpur.
Putra: Hello bro…I'm doing well… Thanks too for your interview. With pleasure I will answer your questions.
JY: Okay, Let's hear about the line up from Lumpur now? and why did Lumpur disappear for so long and now you are back again in this sick world?
Putra: The band members are: Andry Gila (Vocals), Putra (Guitar), Dyo (Bass), Dawan (Drum). Hmmm... It's too long if I tell you here why we were absent for so long and now back again. In 2003, I left Lumpur to finish my thesis (hahaha, I think It's the classic reason) and I had to work in Jakarta. But Lumpur still continued with Fadly, Andre, Dicky, Ari Bejo until 2005. And Fadly handed Lumpur to me (but I still didn’t think I would want to play music again).
In 2008, I met Dawan and Dawan always invited me to resurrect Lumpur again. (I was speechless but I had to think hard hahaha.) I decided to make new music concept. In Lumpur with Dawan in 2009 we released the single "Unleashed Suffering Human Week". I think I can't leave the world of death-metal music. I really believe in this pure black music and lifestyle hahahaha.
JY: Who had the first idea to form Lumpur? and what is the meaning of that name?
Putra : Lumpur was formed in 1994 by Lye and Mimi. I joined Lumpur in 1998 (after I moved from Jakarta to Bandung). The significant meaning....Their opinion is “The dirtiness for them is beautiful but the dirtiness is outside not inside”. Maybe the meaning is many artists wear dirty clothes, are unkempt, and are shabby but their souls are not what other people see....yaaah, maybe until now, still many issues like that are what I want to communicate. We must look tidy, nice, and smart but the soul is rotten and cursed, we still mock the person behind his back, and we backstab each other. I think this is why I used that name Lumpur.
JY: Consistent with what has been made known to us, Lumpur will release the new album soon. How long have been your preparations to release this new album? and how many songs will you have on the album?
Putra: It's not an album, it’s an EP. Why do we do EP and not full-length?.. Because we have been absent from the scene for quite a long time now and we want to introduce ourselves again to metalheads that Lumpur still exists and we will always be part of the underground scene.
LUMPUR'S DEBUT EP "SKEMA PEMBALASAN SEMPURNA"
TRACK LIST:1. FENOMENA DOSA DAN TAKDIR
2. DEKLARASI PENUH LUKA
3. SKEMA PEMBALASAN SEMPURNA
4. DENGAN SETENGAH JIWA
For this new release, Lumpur has signed with NSE (New Standard Elite) and Horrible Creation Musik Media Indonesia.
JY: I heard this new album "Skema Pembalasan Sempurna" will be released by New Standard Elite Records. How did you make a deal with that new record company? Did you send your promo CD to them or...?
Putra: Hmmmm, this process has been a long time happening. We began our friendship with Daniel Osborn (drummer of Inherit Disease). In January 2010 he became very interested about Lumpur and he really wanted to release Lumpur if one day he had a label. Now it's become a reality. After we did negotiations, finally we agreed on the contract terms.
JY: Why did you not try famous labels/ records like Uniqueleader Records, Sevared Records or the other labels? and is this deal just for this album? How about show/tours and merchandise? Do they support these too?
Putra: Wow...This question is such a trap hahaha...We did negotiations with those other labels. We ould not reach agreement on certain terms with them. They are big and famous labels... All the bands that they release are very extraordinary and great bands. So we felt that we did not dare to more intensively negotiate about the contract terms with them. This release isn’t only for the album, but for merchandise too, such as t-shirts, glasses, posters, etc. And if it is God's will (Insha Allah), we will take a step further. (Pray for us)...(Amen bro, hahahahaha)...
JY: If I might ask, what is it you are really looking for in a record label?
Putra: We want the label to give contribution and plans for the future for the progress of the label and the band (yaaaaaa...we'll see if this label also is consistent in following up what they have promised us hahahaha).
JY: What made you interested to sign with a foreign label/record? Why did you not sign with a label/record in Indonesia?
Putra: NSE can provide us good contributions which will benefit both NSE and LUMPUR. We are using an Indonesian label to release the CD in Indonesia too.
JY: If released with the foreign label, the distribution can be better? Approximately, how many copies will be released of this album "Skema Pembalasan Sempurna"?
Putra: Hmmmm....it isn't necessarily better too...Whether we sign with a foreign label or an Indonesian label, it's all good. We are interested in the policy from the label management about the band and we need to be able to reach agreements with the label which can benefit both parties.
The CD will have 1,000 copies released first, and NSE can only sell to USA, EUROPE and AUSTRALIA, For Asia the rights are with the domestic label.
JY: When I listened to your promo song "Fenomena Dosa dan Takdir", I can hear brutal death metal sound with USA influences mixing Disgorge (USA), Dying Fetus, and Suffocation. Why did you choose these musical influences and how did you get the right blend on this album?
Putra: That is a hard question...Yeah, actually...we are so infatuated with brutal death USA, and so strongly influenced by Disgorge (USA). For us, Disgorge is the perfection of Brutal Death Metal in this era...many riffs on guitar with triplet full, Cut Riff, and half bend technique which blends with the wasp drum with full power and continues to brought groovy nuance ala brutal death and awesome guttural vocal. Yaaah...who doesn't know great albums from Disgorge? Yes...this is the BRUTAL DEATH!!!
As for Dying Fetus and Suffocation, who doesn't know these death metal bands? For strike guitar, there were several figure that I used...but still adapted with brutal death riffs. The beats of Dying Fetus and Suffocation will always be pleasure to my ears.
JY: Do you have the typical characteristics/special style? How do you describe Lumpur ‘s music? What do you want to tell us about your new album?
Putra: Yap, exactly...We have our own special style, although we are influenced by Disgorge, but we don't want to be called Disgorge copycats, we want to be called LUMPUR Force! From the aspects of game and style we are very different... Disgorge is Disgorge... Lumpur is Lumpur! For guitar and bass, I used treeplat full off for half of the tone technique, diminish, mayor, pentatonic, Aeolian skill and downstruck pattern that always changes...To describe Lumpur some people might use a dirty name!...But we aren't dirty!!! Lumpur is just a band who wants to work as well as possible without having limitations or inhibitions from any side. In the face of hidden revenge, shit insults, slaps, and the rotten reality of lies and slander we don't care...For us, MUSICAL CREATION IS KING. [KJ: Or is that MALEVOLENT CREATION IS KING?]
JY: Who’s the artist who made the artwork for this new album? Do you feel satisfied with the result? Has it been representative enough of all the songs on your album?
Putra: He is Blossom Decay (Andy)...If you ask about being satisfied, we are not yet satisfied...Yay, it's human, we always desire more and more...but we're so proud with this artwork because it represents well every song title and lyric on this EP. Yeah sick cheer for 'Andy Blossom Decay'!!!
JY: If I look at this album cover, it looks like album cover artwork by Vomit The Soul on Apostles Of Inexpression album. Do you have the same feeling about this (sorry If I'm wrong hahaha... )?
Putra: I think it's not similar artwork because this idea is from my mind and then given to Andy...it is the concept that Andy and I wanted. And as for the coloring, I answer "yes" after I look at Vomit the Soul Apostles Of Inexpression album...I was shocked too...(sorry) but I had no plan to cheat Vomit the Soul, I am sure this is the authentic illustration from Andy. If guys say it is similar, it doesn’t matter to us (Lumpur), because in life these things can happen. (With our humble best regards we say "sorry" hahahaha).
JY: Who wrote the lyrics and arrangements for Lumpur music? and tell us what gives you the inpiration to write your song lyrics?
Putra: For lyrics I wrote it and it was completed by Andry who understands more about the use and layout of words as the vocalist. For arrangement of the music Dawan and I did it. The inspirations are the moral rottenness of humankind, lost hope, the taunter, the hypocrite, and all of the everyday hopeless life.
JY: What equipment do you have? Do you use that equipment when recording and show or tour too?
Putra: Hahahahahaha, must I answer about the equipment???
Vocal: mix shure and 57-58 & CT.
For Guitar, we used "rack set" must be at power 2000w, maximizer, equalizer, preamp, tuner, power conditioner, power supply, DI and cabinet randall xlt.
Bass: preamp, maximizer, sans amp, cabinet genz benz, Drums...
JY: We know that Bandung has the new bands that very dangerous like as Bleeding Corpse, Turbidity, Opium, Plasmoptysis, Demons Damn, Undergod and Bloodgush. Many of these we have interviewed here at Busukwebzine. What's your opinion about these bands? Have you ever done show/tour together with these bands?
Putra: Wow...They are great bands...we respect their consistency with songs that are full of sick riffs and always make the audiences unnerved with their performances and new materials (SHY). Until now, we never did it, that chance has never come, but we believe one day, and we will be so proud if we get that chance to play together on one stage.
JY: Tell us a little about your tour experience with "South East Asean Final Grindown Tour Kuala Lumpur Malaysia"? Was it very impressive and how is the response from enthusiastic metalheads there to the Lumpur show? Maybe the city was named after you: Kuala Lumpur (joke)...
Putra: We gathered on one stage with metal bands from 7 ASEAN states which was a great experience. Then there was a very enjoyable tour to around six cities, Malaysia till Thailand Boundaries for 7 days. It was a great experience and fantastic. We were very tired but we appreciated the solidarity, and we were very enthusiastic to meet metalheads from Malaysia who were very responsive in their support for us. For those about to rock we salute you!
JY: What are Lumpur's plans for the future besides finishing the new album?
Putra: We're recreating the song "Dissilutionment" from Lumpur’s first album Escape Your Punishment and Disgorge's song "Consume the Forsaken". We will make the tour to promo this EP.
JY: Could you mention and tell about top ten lists of the most brutal death-metal CD albums of 2011?
Putra: Origin - Entity, Putridity - Degenerating Anthropophagical Euphoria, Visceral Disgorge, Defeated Sanity, Vile - Metamorphosis, Prophecy - Don't Fuckin' Mess, Expurgate, Arkaik, Gorgasm, Neuraxis - Asylon, etc.
Indonesia brutal/technical : Engorging, Plasmoptysis, Opium, Revenge, Asphyxiate, Carnivored, Wafat, Death Vomit, Tenggorokan, Jagal, etc.
JY: I would like to thank you for this interview in the name of Busukwebzine! I hope that everything will go well for you and the band in the future and good luck for your new album which should be listened to by all metalheads of the world! Have you got any last comments?
Putra : Hey man thank you for the interview as well, I’m very happy to do it... Good luck for Busukwebzine too. And we just want to say: "The most important things in creation aren't greatness and popularity but how do we survive the tough process of life and make that process successful!"
[Note by Kieran James: This English interview was a great team effort! John Yoedi did the interview with Putra of Lumpur in Bahasa Indonesian then Kiki Prasilya did the translation to English and then Kieran James worked to make the English more smooth and correct. We are like United Nations in black tee shirts!]
Visit our links here :
http://www.twitter.com/Lumpur Official
John Yoedi contact: john_yoedi@yahoo.com
