Sounds From The Corner : Session #21 Scaller

8PM, what a hot and sticky evening. I can feel the anxiety in the air. Reney, Stella and Dani didn’t talk very much when I arrived at the set. Several set of eye contacts between them but that is it, no conversation and I thought it was because of the long day they had.

This session was shot at Dani’s spacious living room in far West Jakarta (I'm originally from Bekasi so yeah), big enough for the crew to fit, yellow+gray enough to be a set in a thriller movie. Less than half of the house lights were turned on, and I spotted a drawer full of archaic consoles, from Nintendo all-in-ones to Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog series. What a cool old-school crib, I thought.

I didn’t know Scaller personally, but I can imagine they’re best buddies - if not lovers - who started to write and perform together. The best (or the worst) way to start a band, IMO. My math is bad but when I saw the year 1991 inked in Reney’s arm I can’t help but calculate their age. Again the best (or the worst) timing to start a band. Especially a unit this good. My sloven examination from afar said that these guys are not part of particular music circles in Jakarta that usually create saturated exposure from public, so if they gain extra attention, it is certainly because of their quality.

When we finally started the set, I immediately realized that the anxiety I spotted came from the need of one rare thing: perfection. I can see they continuously anxious about the music: repeatedly checking audio, arrangement and so forth which is an obvious sign of a healthy band. Scaller’s music is a tall, robust and firm building made of confidence. I heard character, I saw passion and I felt strong presence. They are a rare breed we managed to archive, among various new talents in Indonesia.

I ran through of their songs a day before we shoot (Homework as usual) and I found so many things to say.

Scaller’s music is never love at first sight; it is not even a piece of music to spoil your ear. Instead, it’s music for you to study religiously. The kind of composition that will start a fire in your belly. I never encounter a band this young with the ability to design and shape such a precise framework, with the right amount of influence, in the same time carries novelty.

A comprehensive look and investigation in the sound department only resulted in one thing: compactness. Scaller has defined their texture and dynamic while maintaining entertaining performance. When I hear such different colors put into one song, I often generalize the attempt as lack of curation, but the boys (and girl) have convinced me the other way.

Meticulous bits, huge hooks and rhythmic syncopes all in one performance. One song usually consists of minimum two "crossroads" where they make a significant turn to other direction. Three sources of energy between the members is supported by athletic chemistry and thorough sound exploration. You will find various anatomies flowed as independent entities but framed in the same song, first will be a bit confusing until you find yourself repeating the same track for hundred times. Exactly like drugs, only without a chance of getting busted by the cops.

This is SFTC's fourth year and bands like Scaller reminds us why we're doing this. Great talents from Indonesia need to be archived, so everyone has access to watch and appreciate them more. We are proud and grateful to archive this performance. They need more stage, more coverage, more interviews and more recognition. Sounds From the Corner presents: Scaller! - Teguh Wicaksono