Efek Rumah Kaca (ID)

About

Few Indonesian bands write lyrics quite like Efek Rumah Kaca. Translating roughly to "Greenhouse Effect", the Jakarta quartet has built a devoted following on songs that take sharp aim at politics, social hypocrisy and the music industry itself. Their 2007 debut sold over 5,000 copies and included "Di Udara", a tribute to murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib, and "Cinta Melulu", a pointed jab at the flood of lovey dovey pop clogging Indonesian radio. Second album Kamar Gelap earned them two awards, including MTV Indonesia's Best Cutting Edge, and cemented their reputation as one of the country's most thought provoking rock acts. Their third album, Sinestesia (2015), came after years of stops and starts due to bassist Adrian's serious illness, Behçet's disease, which cost him his sight. In a remarkable creative response, every track on the album is named after a color representing what Adrian hears when each song plays. In the meantime, the band launched the side project Pandai Besi, reworking nine of their older songs with a wider group of musicians into the critically praised album Daur Baur, recorded at the legendary Lokananta studio and funded by their own fans.