…

As “indie” culture (to use the now butchered term loosely) blossoms and promises more opportunities for bands to share their craft, it also extends a much needed reality check as more than ever before, there is a voluble rumbling in the bowels of the so-called “indie” marketplace – big brands are marketing themselves as culture-forward, indie-loving champions; kids are inspired with wide-eyed enthusiasm to rivet among cool indie types; a few promoters are working hard in the shadows while some have disappeared; and new acts are coming out like families of rabbits, with music or design as an apparent medium towards “indie” fame even as the message is progressively becoming more diluted.

Do you do it because it’s currently the coolest way to define yourself? Or do you do it because that’s inherently who you are?

The lack of genuineness has become a little appalling and disappointing..

..as evident in the bubbling cauldron of Strange Things happening in our scene.

Observe this: The biggest local rock concert did not make their annual appearance last year (2007). I’m sure there are complex reasons to this. But one may have also noticed the lack of support of a particular sponsor in local music. Did they unanimously decide to stop believing in indie rockers? Or were they poisoned by a bottle of Nu Hype?

And this: While a local venue steadily promotes local gigs, expanding the stage and floor to accommodate party kids so they won’t mob the drinking yuppies, bands are left to grapple with a neglectful sound set-up. Should this be so, if you’re doing it for the sake of music?

And what about this: A giant corporation sets up a community portal for independent artists, sponsoring regional music events, without sustainable measures to make it a thriving portal. Updates are sporadic and some of the notable bands of 2007 were not found on the music artists’ page. Nothing too disturbing with this picture as community sites are hard to manage. But when connecting people is sold as your biggest forte, we then have reasons to be suspicious.

Then there are other scenarios thrown into the bitter mix: More experienced artists are warning newbies not to crowd the open marketplace with their flimsy, unimaginative stuff. New acts are sounding less original as if obligated to ride on the waves of popular trends. Ravey indies are organising more exclusive (read: by invitation only) parties.

The scene is evolving for good reasons nonetheless – we have no shortage of new music to discover, more worthy talents are being heard, more trend-setters, more gigs, more parties. Yet while we may have the quantity to boast, do we have quality to match? And when the advertising dollars blow out, when a new trend surfaces that is not-so indie, what will become of this youthful population?

-

2007 saw the revolution climbing to reach a climax. 2008 will perhaps force us to do a reality check on ourselves before we could reach the pinnacle we rightly deserve.

As a nation, our DIY sensibility may be hard to pin down, music and fashion wise. But the indie collective as a region (Asia) is looking well on its way to surpass our Western counterparts.

Indonesian sextet, White Shoes and the Couples Company, and Malaysian powerpop bands, Ferns and Couple, were among the Top 25 MySpace Bands voted by Rolling Stones in 2006.

And just recently, TIME picked out 5 Best Asian Acts to watch out for in 2008:
The Analog Girl (Singapore)
The Out of Body Special (Philippines)
P.K.14 (China)
Goodnight Electric (Indonesia)
Cornelius (Japan)

The short list of course is not all-encompassing. There are a number of talented acts in this region worthy of mention. But the point is this - to get recognised outside your own country, you have to work very hard in the game. You also should have something utterly unique to offer.

So perhaps a clear-eyed thinking is what’s needed, if one should consider becoming the next big thing. Do you seriously value creativity? Honesty? Innovation? Professionalism?

With more Asian talents reaching out to the rest of the world, we are hoping the public’s appetite for the “indie” label will plateau in 2008. All focus should shift to the next big thing that produces quality listenable music or wearable clothes or whatever else with real creativity. Basically young talents destined for longer careers.

Call me old-fashioned, but hopefully we’ll be back into the raw, where music is enjoyed without the pretentious hype and labels, and the “indie” scene is not created out of ridiculous PR spins.

. . .