Interview: Sore
[Jakarta, Indonesia] Amidst the thriving indie scene that is slowly but surely enveloping the vibrancy of Indonesia’s music scene, lays a band that takes nostalgic soul to greater heights. Say hello to Sore.
The name Sore (pronounced ’so-ray’) - how did that come about?
In Bahasa, Sore means evening and that time of day is usually the most beautiful, peaceful and to us, the best period to listen to music. On the contrary, its connotation in English has an element of emotional torment. So we figured, Sore was a name that really encapsulated our sound.
What about the sound?
We’re hugely inspired by rock & roll. Then there’s Indonesian music of the 30s and just really great ‘live’ music from the likes of Led Zeppelin amongst many others.
How does the first album “Centralismo” differ from your latest one “Ports of Lima”?
When we first recorded “Centralismo”, we were pretty much in the dark about the production of music, so we just did what we thought were good ideas, but we never really knew how they were going to come out on the final mix.
On the whole, we think “Ports of Lima” is more of a sequel to “Centralismo”. Our usual attitude towards musical forms and structuring is pretty much still there, but on the production of the second album we were more comfortable exploring all the possibilities of working on our materials and with the help from our friends.
We tried to fully realize our ideas and visions. The instrumentations and textures are much richer and denser. People say the mood is gloomier at times and that’s probably because we were in a somewhat darker mood when we recorded this album. And many songs in this album came from personal experiences, so maybe that’s some kind of personal therapy going on for some of us.
Sore - Somos Libres
You guys really seem to have a love for all things classic and nostalgic. It’s a trend that can be noticed everywhere be it in fashion or film – do you think it’s a reflection of people’s weariness of current times?
The old school vibe in our music is almost like a tribute, not so much weariness about the world today. That said, perhaps the kind of materialism that people currently have to deal with could be a factor that drives them to want to go back to the good ol’ days, sort of.
It’s really just the act of reminiscing in this modern day and age. We never researched or planned to make our music this way. It’s just what we like – music from different eras. And it all evolved naturally.
What’s your take on dangdut? I’ve noticed profiles of Indonesian youths on networking sites that seem to shun the genre. Why do you think that is?
The current state of dangdut (Indonesian folk music) now really is quite unfortunate cause it really started out as the people’s music. It had all these different elements and truly is so Indonesian, so unique. But there’s been an exploitation of it with erotica. It’s the image that people seem to dislike not so much the music.
Indonesia’s political climate has been temperamental. How do you think that’s affected the music industry there?
If anything, it’s the state of the economy that really influences the industry. As the cost of living goes up, people are hungry for more and yet a lack of resources affects the industry as to what we can produce and through what means we able to do it.
Do you agree with the cliché that art comes from suffering?
Not completely. It’s just that in times of suffering, people tend to look for light. Some sort of hope or comfort, which is probably the reason for such an association.
Sore has gained a niche acclaim both at home and abroad. Do you guys have plans of going really commercial?
We started out wanting to say something with our music but our commercial success, or the lack of, has to do with many factors including the economy and the state of affairs here (in Indonesia). It’s a tricky industry to really woo and we hope to get there but we’re at the stage where we’re concentrating on the music and the commercial stuff can come later.
If you’re good enough it’ll sell itself. We’re not too worried about marketing it too much. For now, we’re taking one step at a time, it’s a struggle but one we’re willing to take. We didn’t think about the risks when we got into this really.
Sore - Pergi Tanpa Pesan (Left Without a Message)
How do you think bigger and better collaborations can result between artistes from Asia and the rest of the world?
There’ll always be bureaucracy in the music industry but there has to be more initiative on both parts to do something about collaborations. There’s always opportunity, it’s just a matter of initiative.
Tell us more about your collaborations with foreign artistes.
Back in 2007, we had a chance to play on a stage with Sondre Lerche and Club 8, we opened for them, and after the gig we kept corresponding with them.
When we were producing “Ports of Lima”, there was one song, ‘Apatis Ria’ that needed some whistling, and since none of us were good whistler we thought of Karolina Komstedt (the lead singer of Club 8). She agreed to record her whistle and send it to us, but by the time we were ready to send her the raw material, Club 8 had just released their new album, so she was really busy touring and couldn’t do it.
Instead we recorded a song as a tribute for her, it’s track 13 on the album, called ‘Karolina’.
Nice. Name some other artistes the band’s dying to work with.
Sonic Youth. Bob Dylan too.
Right, so Bob Dylan pops by Jakarta and you guys are supposed to play guide. Where would you take him?
We’ll take him to visit those people who live under the bridges, to the working places of the common people, and we’ll have a tour of Jakarta on the city bus, and surely we’ll ask him to play a song or two there on it. For us, Bob Dylan has always been a working class hero – voicing the anxieties of the common man. And just for kicks if we could have a time travel back to the sixties, we’d give us both a hell of an LSD ride as well! (laughs)
Images and videos courtesy of Aksara Records
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