INDIE MUSIC IN POST-BOMB BALI: PARTICIPANT PRACTICES, SCENE SUBJECTIVITIES Rebekah E. Moore Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology Indiana University March 2015 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Doctoral Committee ______________________________________ Daniel B. Reed, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Ruth Stone, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Javier León, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Marvin Sterling, Ph.D. ______________________________________ David Harnish, Ph.D. February 10, 2015 ii Copyright © 2015 Rebekah E. Moore iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To all of the individuals who welcomed me into your creative and professional lives and inspired me to apply the many lessons of this long research undertaking toward making some measurable, positive contribution—within and beyond the university setting: Thank you. I am particularly grateful to Robi, Lakota, Igo, Dethu, Anom, Wendi, Jerinx, Dodix, Dadang, Marmar, Dizta, Bayak, Gembull, Made, Prima, Sari, Deny, Zio, Eka, Bobi, Nova, Komar, Nurdi, Erick, Leo, Marsello, Mita, Fitra, Richard, Monez, Clea, Adib, and Aldo for contributing your expertise to this project, for your collegial support in our combined creative projects, and for your friendship. In the six years that I have been lucky enough to know you, you have broadened my outlook on what a small group of like-minded people can accomplish and proven why every song, as a creative offering to the world, matters. You have rocked my world. Terima kasih. Suksma. Matur nuwun. Most of all, I wish to thank my dissertation chair and friend, Daniel Reed. You have known me throughout my entire college career. When I was still a teenager, you instilled in me the belief that asking the big questions about how human beings visualize the world and connect with one another through music is a worthy undertaking. Nearly fifteen years later, when my faith in my place within this scholarly dialogue had faltered, you insisted that I am a person worthy of finding answers to those questions. Words fall short, but my appreciation is deep. iv INDIE MUSIC IN POST-BOMB BALI: PARTICIPANT PRACTICES, SCENE SUBJECTIVITIES Rebekah E. Moore This dissertation focuses on music practices that have been largely uncharted in Balinese music studies. In the twelve years following the 2002 terrorist bombings, during which time an economic downturn and subsequent accelerated tourism development and urbanization transformed southern Bali, several rock bands rose to national and international acclaim and, alongside other music professionals committed to the creative, professional, and social vitality of local music making, built a thriving independent music scene. By 2014, Bali was home to some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands in the Indonesian recording industry’s history—though industry accolades were often tangential achievements for many music producers. What did preoccupy them is key to understanding the scene’s historic growth and staying power. Shared preoccupations with style and genre, creativity, professional ethics, activism, and belonging deepened social bonds by coalescing attention around core social, environmental, and musical issues. Based on six years of knowing Bali’s indie music producers as research interlocutors, colleagues, and friends, this study examines scene practices including rehearsals, performances, album production, tours, music activism, and “hanging out” (nongkrong) as conduits by which core ideals were created and shared. Research methods, derived from anthropology and ethnomusicology, included participation in scene practices, recorded interviews, casual conversations, and attention to “material culture,” including hard copy and digital albums, music videos, and band merchandise. By applying theories derived from sociological phenomenology and symbolic interactionism, this study argues that habitual, music-related activities, as social v interaction, establish subjective preoccupations that, as they come to be mutually valued, strengthen social alliances, sustain otherwise untenable music professions, and influence broader social and environmental issues. In post-bomb Bali, music-related practices were strategies for defining social relationships and inspiring collective action to both make a music scene happen and safeguard an island’s diverse artistic, societal, and natural ecology. ______________________________________ Daniel B. Reed, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Ruth Stone, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Javier León, Ph.D. ______________________________________ Marvin Sterling, Ph.D. ______________________________________ David Harnish, Ph.D. vi Table of Contents Chapter 1: “Freedom Skies”: Indie Music in Post-bomb Bali ....................................1 “Freedom Skies” by Gede Robi .......................................................................................1 Paradise Lost, Freedom Gained .......................................................................................1 From Ashes ......................................................................................................................5 Indie Music Today ...........................................................................................................7 Scholarly Touchstones and Scope .................................................................................12 The Matter of “Popular Music” .....................................................................................29 Research Methods and the Researcher’s Belonging ......................................................33 Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................39 Road Trip to Negara .......................................................................................................41 Participant Practices .......................................................................................................47 Scene Subjectivities .......................................................................................................50 Rundown ........................................................................................................................52 Chapter 2: “Aku Dimana” (Where Am I?): Indie’s Place in Bali ...............................59 Brilliant Cacophany .......................................................................................................59 Urbanization and Musical Diversity ..............................................................................61 Early Musical Contacts ..................................................................................................67 The Right Place, Time, and Circumstance .....................................................................74 Violence, Ideologues, and Music ...................................................................................82 Close Encounters with Musical Others ..........................................................................88 Indie in the City ...........................................................................................................103 Out with the Old ...........................................................................................................109 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................116 “Aku Dimana” by Dialog Dini Hari ............................................................................117 Chapter 3: “Masa Kecil” (Childhood): First Impressions, Firm Commitments, and Stage Beginnings ........................................................................................................123 Starting a Band .............................................................................................................126 Pedagogy and Playing Together ..................................................................................137 Taking to the Stage ......................................................................................................148 Table 1: Active Bali-based Bands Between 2008 and 2014 ........................................160 Twice Bar .....................................................................................................................147 Beings in Motion in Performance ................................................................................165 Nongkrong: Deep Hanging Out ...................................................................................172 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................178 “Masa Kecil” by Suicidal Sinatra ................................................................................178 Chapter 4: “Jadilah Legenda” (Become a Legend): Professionalism and Praise ....184 Pengen Maju (A Desire to ‘Make It’) ..........................................................................191 Creating a Signature Style ...........................................................................................194 vii Table 2: “Modern Mantra” by Navicula ......................................................................198 Table 3: “Metropolutan”