OK after the cockup on my part last month with the November Skyline track I reviewed attributing it to SP, I am assured that THIS is the real thing. Surreal Situation for Sarah-Jean is a track from the band's fully downloadable album Fan Fiction which you can download for nothing at archive.org. I grabbed a copy of it a week or so ago but much to my annoyance I have yet to find the time to even give it a cursory listen and once I knew this track was up for review this month, that kinda finished listening to it at all. The album is full of tracks I (and lots of other reviewers) have raved about of the past couple of years. So much so that it reads like a Shorthand Phonetics Greatest Hits jobbie...

Not bad for such young 'un's eh? ;)

There is a side to Shorthand Phonetics that doesn't really appeal to me; the love/life is a tragedy routine I could well do without but there's no doubt that I love this band when they rock out. Surreal Situation for Sarah-Jean is a track that will be instantly familiar to those of us who have developed an appetite for this Indonesian proto-punk particular brand of musical mayhem. The thing that has always appealed to me about them is their ability to craft a song, and deliver it properly despite some horrendous mix stories and Surreal Situation is cut from that mould. Without, I might add, any of the horrendousness so evident in so many of this bands tracks. They do seem to have surmounted their initial problems and are now delivering consistently reasonable sounds, albeit definitely 'live' sounding.

Again, that is another draw of this band. As you listen, you can actually visualise them all going about their business, they SOUND like a band. Surreal Situation is an ace track from the standpoint of us old fans but what might they offer a newcomer? Great songs for a start, set in what Soundclick have lablelled Alternative: Alt Punk which think gets it said. I've said before that when they hit this particular groove (their more punky stuff) that they remind me strongly of the Buzzcocks but that probably has more to do with the vocal tone than anything they do musically. Not sure what the little coda is doing on the end of this track though unless it's just a bit of weirdness for weirdness sake. It's been a while since SP came up with a track like this, but this is worth it - should you like a bit of rough and ready, of course.

What is it with these guys and their song titles? Maybe they are trying to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the most song titles that make absolutely no sense whatsoever award? Who knows? Anyhow, Shorthand Phonetics are a 6 peice Jakarta, Indonesia based band who - in the time they have been on Soundclick - have made lots of friends and pleased a great many people. Despite, some would say, their relatively young ages (around 17 at last count) and their absolutely up and down nature of production - or maybe I mean non-production because mostly what you hear are live mixes.

It's in the songs that this band scores though. Not always, not often but enough to show that they will become a band to be reckoned with. See, if they are like this at 17, imagine what they will be like in a few years. Like a lot of sub-Asian bands (there are several dozen on Soundclick alone) they have wholeheartedly embraced the western music ethos and pump it back at us as if they had invented it. Well, they are certainly re-inventing it, judging by this bands output. Requiem is the first official single off the upcoming album 'Fanfiction: From the Seriously Absurd to the Absurdly Serious'. See what I mean about the titles? As befits the first single status, it bounds into your ears with all the enthusiasm and speed of a greyhound fresh out of the trap, and in my favourite of all SP styles; kinda rocky, with a dash of punk.

Don't be running away with the idea that you are about to hear something stylish, taut and finely honed because you'd soon discover how many miles away from the truth you are. One of the most enduring qualities of this band is their godawful (and I'm being kind here) production standards, and the reason that I sound so pleased about that is because on this band - and this band only - it kinda fits their rough and ready ethos. In terms of energy and rough hewn charm, this is more reminiscent of the Clash than the Buzzcocks, and more rocky than either of those two bands put together. I also detect more than a slight improvement in their overall sound, at least there IS a mix on the track - and in stereo!! Yep, made my jaw drop too. Great shame the tom hits kinda thud into your brain though - but it isn't the aural nightmare of the past and that's a blessing. You either like this band or not, and I do. A great deal and THIS is the standard I have come to judge them by. As you like 'em - rough and ready.

Highly Recommended.

Considering that English is not this bands first language (they are from Jakarta, Indonesia), they certainly don't give that impression if you went purely by their song titles. As well as the above tome, the first three tracks on their Soundclick page are Real Equivalent of Shampoo (Sugar Maliciously...) and Aftermath of Losing Hope, the Concept and the Girl. If that doesn't do anything for you, try She Was My Fixation Until She Threw A Foreign Object At Me (!!). Obviously desperate to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest song titles known to man, what else can this band of 16-17 year olds do?

Well, they make some damn fine music, for a start.

It is very heartening to see other reviewers struggling as much as me with this band because they ARE an incredibly difficult band to listen to, and harder still to give a meaningful review to. Personally, I like this band a lot - and so do many other reviewers I've noticed - and the reason for that is because they are that little bit special. I've liked them ever since I reviewed Whistleblower back in July 2004 despite some horrendous sound problems that have dogged them since forever. Strangely enough, Everybody Knows... is probably the first track where I can say, in all truthfulness, that THIS is a lot closer to the kind of production I have been expecting from this band in all this time. Sure, it's still a bit rough around the edges and the sound itself is a bit blurry, but all the instruments are balanced well and the spirit of the songs comes across exceptionally well.

It's in the songwriting that this band has always scored big with me. With great tracks like Green Apple Garden, All Too Platonic, This Goes Out To The Sweet and Niave and many others, Shorthand Phonetics have risen above their sonic problems time and time again and delivered some very hot slices of their own brand of magic along the way. Everybody Knows... is a direct descendant of a lot of the tracks I have mentioned, it being - in this case - a late 1960's throwback full of vaguely spacey lyrics, a vocal delivery that is early Pink Floyd in its twee sound and a huge musical backdrop to work itself out on. Obviously, this being a SP track and all that entails, you will probably have to give it some time to register on your ears and mind but when it does I think you will find that it has all the qualities of some of their best work and - as I say - a much improved overall sound, even though I felt the lead guitars kinda got buried waaaaayyy too much. Great track though, and shows that maybe SP are back on track after 2005's descent into the world of teenage angst.

Recommended, but with some gripes still about the sound....

Real Equivalent of Shampoo

Here is a formula for you to figure out:
5 boys + 16/17 years of age + strange & extremely long track titles + Indonesia-based (no racial remark intended. my point is that it is not a land reknowned for music that blows our minds away) = garage band flop?

Well, you might originally think so at first glance, considering the immediate boy-band impression they seem to exude from initial observations. And we all know how ‘multi-dimensional and deep’ the music can be from the typical boy-band inventions don’t we? Forgotten? Remember Backstreet Boys? N-Sync? Hmmm…Let’s not go there. But, enough dribble. My embryonic thoughts about this particular Indonesian band, Shorthand Phonetics, were along the lines of – great, another herd of young teenaged boys trying to musically portray themselves as a group with some talent and ability to impress (although they did state in their own words that they are ‘not talented’ – lets see eh?). And I was just hoping against hope that was put on my review table – Real Equivalent of Shampoo - would not be a sickeningly syrupy piece about love/heartbreak so sweet that it could make anyone an audio diabetic…and thankfully, it wasn’t…

Instead, what was dispensed for listening experience was actually a guitar-driven hybrid of two very different styles that couldn’t be further apart – the majority of the stage being occupied by an audacious punk/rock-like performance, escorting the piece out by a shorter, slower and much more stripped-down section that is clothed with a shroud of vulnerability and tenderness in the delicate ballad-style arrangement that it ends with. At this point, you are probably thinking how on earth can two styles that seem so remotely foreign to one another be united together and executed convincingly? Don’t jump to rash conclusions though, because even though I was almost ready to can this piece after my first listen due to the crudeness in recording (but apparently a marked improvement from previous track, judging from what earlier reviews had expressed) and almost suicidal feel it gave my ears due to the sheer audio mass that the instrumental line carried, several more forced listens made me feel less attacking towards the piece.

Made up of brazen synthesizers/electric guitar progressions, massive basses, hefty and brassy drums, all of which mind you were rocked out impressively for the most part, you really get a delivery that packs a massive punch. But while I may have found it a little too deafening or sonically overweight for my (may possibly be weak) musical palette to swallow, one cannot help admit that if you look past the amateur recording style, this is still an arrangement that comes out as big beat fun and energetic to the very seams.

As the piece moved on, I was (very) surprised (and pleasantly at that) to have met with a segment of the song that really undressed all the brawny layers preceding it. The elegant plucking of the acoustic guitar within this section was beautifully written using some delightful chord progressions, making me only sad to find that this refrain was not longer in length. Which leads me to believe that this is the true saving grace of the song, and hope that this style will be employed more dominantly and effectively in future works

So despite several flaws I picked up (drums seemingly too loud in several places, vocally not persuasive as it seems to be sounding too isolated and cold for the first part of the song, and the overall instrumental line overpowering the words being sung), I began to understand why this band has attracted the buzzing attention it has with the generous number of stations playing their material, and gobs of reviewers liking their offerings despite some abysmal recording quality, making me only all the more glad that I did not toss this song into the dust-pile. Because, I believe you will find, like I did, that if you give this humble group and this song a chance on your player, that it just might creep up on you and agree with those ears of yours.

p/s: Out of curiosity: where/how on earth do they come up with their song titles from? Care to explain to a probably bewildered lot out here?

Another visit from one of Soundclick's younger bands (they are all around 16 or so) usually means one of two things; A teen angst anthem drenched in saccarine and odd sounds or a banging (if incredibly noisy) seminal proto-punk track with so much energy it could probably light up Jakarta (the Indonesian city they all hail from). One of those sides of this band I like enormously, and the other I can take or leave and usually want to leave as quickly as possible. See, it's well known that I can't stand ballads and teenage love ballads are my worst nightmare, can't stand to be in the same universe as them. However, when I last spoke to Ababil Ashari of the band, he promised me that the next track (ie THIS one) would be much more my kind of style...

Aaah, but they all say that, don't they???

Despite having all the production values of an alleycat drowning in a barrel of nails, Shorthand Phonetics are surprisingly good, as many people have found out to their amazement. I personally have kept several of their tracks despite the obvious aural pain because of the quality of their songwriting and the sheer energy they pump into everything they do - even the ballads. Surprisingly enough, Shampoo is a crossbreed of their two highly distinctive styles and - although seemingly a tad on the short side (it isn't btw, it's over 4 minutes long) - I found myself liking it's quasi-rock presentation. Mind you, as usual, you will have to overcome any and all predjudices about what a track should sound like to really appreciate just why this band gathers more fans with each release.

Essentially the track breaks down into two sections, a proto-punky sub-Buzzcocks beginning and a slightly more restrained, almost ballad like outro section. Surprisingly enough, it was the last section that really captured my attention this time, mainly I think because of the extremely fetching chord progressions used in it. Personally I could have done with a little more of this section and a little less of the rocky bits. Now if that doesn't get Ababil foaming at the mouth, nothing will... Very Happy I've had a bit of a lean year with these guys during 2005 because they seemed to be concentrating more on the teen love angle than their more energetic side but with this track they seem to have captured both sides of their musical personality beautifully and it is IMO a return to the SP of old - the guys who blistered my ears while capturing my heart. Excellent stuff guys, and a definite step up in terms of production and songwriting as well.

As usual, ignore the roughness, admire the quality. Recommended.

Hi Ababil,

"This One Goes out to the Sweet and Naive"

Well, the good news is you got about 20 streams out of this review! I forgot that I had left your song running. I was upstairs for well over an hour working with my daughter on her school work. So, yeah, that should help you in the charts. Very Happy

1. Your sound is very raw. Meaning, primarily, that you need to practice a lot more to get a nice tight sound.

2. The song itself has nice little groove. It’s a very retro ‘60’s feeling song. As a song this is, in my opinion, cool.

3. The recording quality is actually quite bad, but the band's sound is pretty good. Each performer – as far as he can be heard – sounds all right. I like the singer’s voice. The rhythm player is out of tune, but his timing is pretty good. (Needs tightening, but he’s doing pretty well.) The drums are chaotic sounding, but there’s nice energy there.

Keep rocking, guys!

Shorthand Phonetics
This One Goes Out To The Sweet & Naïve

Lo-fi, teenage, alternative Indonesian-based noise poppers Shorthand Phonetics have impressed me to an extent over the past year with their energy and songwriting ability, although what has often let me down is the vocal performance.

SP describe their music as lo-fi, which it undoubtedly is, but this can be an excuse for sloppy production and/or performance. In some aspects of their tracks this is evident and if this were to be sharpened up in line with the songwriting, they would be quite an act.

The song sweeps from bopping harmonic power pop to moody grunge in the space of verse to chorus. There are some fantastic touches with the higher melodies on guitar and the overall song has a certain charm to it, which then transforms. There is plenty of evidence that SP know how to make a song, breaking the song down and then building back up again, layered with noise and harmony, it makes for a pleasant sound. But the fact that the performance all round isn’t quite there really prevents it from being a great listen. The bass, guitar and drums have no cohesion with each other – the fact the one of them is slightly off gives an uneasy sound, while again the vocals are on and off.

Three things keep Shorthand Phonetics from being an outstanding band: vocals, instrumental tightness and production. The production part is the least important, but the other two need addressing to match up with the songwriting skills. Tighter performance all round is required.

One Listen Wonder or Musical Genius?
As a piece of songwriting, this is very good and it features some superb elements, but it’s difficult to listen to music where something is slightly out, throwing everything else. Shorthand Phonetics have the potential to be up there towards the ‘musical genius’ part of the scale, but it will take time and a lot of hard work. The fact that SP score highly on the originality, unique sound and melodic development parts is an indication of their talent. Keep going.

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Melodic Development (out of 20) 17
Vocals (out of 20) 10
Instrumentation (out of 20) 11
Originality (out of 15) 12
Structure (out of 10) 8
Recording (out of 5) 3
Enjoyment (out of 5) 3
Unique Sound (out of 5) 3
------------------------------
Total (out of 100) 69

I’ve come across Shorthand Phonetics a few times in the past and have monitored their progress as a band of teenagers in the last couple of years. I believe I have reviewed ‘All Too Platonic’ and ‘Green Apple Garden’ before now and they have been efforts of good songwriting, but rough instrumentation and production.

‘An Angel Descends on the UK’ is definitely on the route to a more mature composition from the Indonesian quintet.

The song features a classic chord progression which is derived straight from the Beatles book of how to make music (I must admit I’ve used it in the past as well!) This is their first attempted at a “piano song” as they put it, and there are some nice keys touches – not sure it would quite qualify as a “piano song” in my book though. The piano throughout is a key part of the song and it works very well within the song to give the song a lot of melodic credit.

I like a lot of aspects of this song; each instrument part is well-written and together binds to make a very good sound, even though some of the musicianship is at times scrappy. There is some fantastic craft shown in the making of this song, there has been some great maturity to not go over the top with the instrument parts and keep them relatively simple.

What I think the song suffers from is an over-complication in terms of lyrics, it’s as if there are too many words to be squeezed in and it totally takes anything away from the vocal melody. Although the guitars and piano do their best to bring a light and gentle sound to the song, this is somewhat ruined by a less impressive vocal aspect – both in writing and performance. The singing needs to be concentrated on especially for the longer and higher notes – can’t really get with it here.

One Listen Wonder or Musical Genius?
What essentially lets this piece of work down is the vocals. If you get a stronger vocal melody, take out some of those longer notes, the rhythm and music is perfect for shorter bursts, and perform it a little better, you’ll be on for a very good song.

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Melodic Development (out of 20) 16
Vocals (out of 20) 8
Instrumentation (out of 20) 16
Originality (out of 15) 10
Structure (out of 10) 7
Recording (out of 5) 2
Enjoyment (out of 5) 3
Unique Sound (out of 5) 3
------------------------------
Total (out of 100) 65

I've always had a bit of a soft spot for this bunch of young men from Indonesia ever since I reviewed Whistle Blower (June 2004) and, yes, I had the crap for it too. I've heard all the stories on this one, believe me. There are those who say how can you possibly like something like this or Green Apple Garden (December 2004) or All Too Platonic (April 2005)? It sounds as if it were made by a bunch of kids, I have heard people say, how can this be considered good music? Welp, I guess that's all down to earholes. You could, arguably, say the same thing about the Sex Pistols 'God Save The Queen' but I consider that one of the all time rock classics and that should be sufficient explanation of just WHY I like this band.

Despite warts, boils and all...

It had to be said that their mixes are dire, their production techniques are less than wonderous and that they are - in effect - only regurgitating older material. All true and undeniable. But, IMHO, they've also got lashings of the Big B and E, and that can surmount endless difficulties for me. Balls and energy is what I'm talking about here and this quintet (Ababil Ashari (vox, guitars), Alvin Lasmana (drums),Daniel Sastro (guitars), Alfon Tanoto (bass, vox) and Kevin Yapsir (guitars) has that in spades. Put aside whatever sonic prejudices you may have and listen to a band in the raw with more going for them than the track will initially show you. Listen some more and you may discover that these guys know how to write and deliver extremely catchy little tracks effortlessly.

This One Goes Out... is cut from the usual SP cloth; guitars, guitars and more guitars, a vocal that is highly evocative of the sounds of the late '70's English music scene and noise, noise, noise. Judging from all I've heard I would guess that they are a garage band but I guarantee that they'd be a pretty exciting live act - particularly for mosh pit types. Their sound is undeniably punk both in structure and delivery so you'd probably have to have that sensibility to really enjoy it but ya never know. Not, to my ears, as immediate as some of their previous material but still a raw slice of living, breathing rock fire and brimstone. It's also pleasing to see that many others now are beginning to notice that these guys may sound rough, but that's small change considering what they give us.

So this is Shorthand Phonetics, I’ve reviewed them a couple of times before so I was interested to see what direction they had taken since our last encounter a few months ago.

As I expected, they had established a far more definitive sound, upbeat and some great guitar work, and a good structure to the song.

Straight away though, a huge thing you need to get right are those vocals, I can barely hear them, but it sounds like a great melody you’ve got going, but I can’t really confirm that as I can barely hear it!

Also, you need to sharpen up and clean your performance up in some particular areas. For example, the drumming is off time at the beginning of the song when it comes in with the guitar and for the strong and definitive beat that you have here it is so important and is massively off-putting if it’s not right on.

The guitar work is terrific throughout, all the phases of the song are good, and good songwriting skills are shown, it’s a huge development from the previous work.

But number one thing to sort out for you is the production. The talent is clearly there, now sort out the vocal recording and levels so that you can get out there and be heard.

Your score won’t give justice to the song simply because I can’t confirm how good those vocals are due to the recording.

One Listen Wonder or Musical Genius?
This track has the beauty of being a song with immediate impact with catchy rhythms and beats while, I feel with its many phases it requires several listens to really grasp what’s going on. However, you need to get those vocals sorted; they are the MOST important part of being a successful band.

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Melodic Development (out of 20) 18
Vocals (out of 20) 7
Instrumentation (out of 20) 14
Originality (out of 15) 11
Structure (out of 10) 9
Recording (out of 5) 2
Enjoyment (out of 5) 4
Unique Sound (out of 5) 3
------------------------------
Total (out of 100) 68

OK, you all know me. So when I put you onto a track that sounds like a dogs breakfast, I should have a damn good reason for it, right? Well I do, and I have(?wtf?) but it's a long story so I'll rewind back to beginning. I first got to know Ababil Ashari (vox, guitars, primary songwriter), Alvin Lasmana (drums), Alfon Tanoto (bass, vox), and Kevin Yapsir (guitars) AKA Shorthand Phonetics well over a year ago when I reviewed a track of theirs - hated the production and loved the energy and drive of the band. Since then nothing has changed, the production still sucks the big one and the band are just getting better and better - in a thrash/punk sort of way. Speaking entirely personally having spent a lifetime listening to bands in the raw like this, I have developed a bit of an ear filter that - should the music prove worth it - can erase even the crappiest of production jobs.

So, make sure you have a strong stomach and a pair of lead lined ears and off we go...

The four band members are from Jakarta, Indonesia and are all 16 years old, which is why I've found it best to cut them some considerable slack in the past. This being the third SP track I have reviewed, it's fairly obvious that the band basically record the track live and that is what you hear. It sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage and it probably was. If there had been any hangers around though, I bet it would have been a party garage because the power and excitement of All Too Platonic would have sent any audience through the roof. The same thing applies to Green Apple Garden which I reviewed back in December, hi-energy kinda/sorta punkish, or at least a track with the relentlessness of punk rock.

On Green Apple Garden I compared them to a rougher version of the Buzzcocks and Platonic ploughs pretty much the same musical field. Imagine, a genuine Manchester sound from the other side of the world! Definitely something that could have issued out of punk era Manchester, Platonic holds none of the sneering, superior-than-thou of the southern bands (Sex Pistols, Damned etc) and all of the musicality and charm of the nothern punk bands (Buzzcocks, Magazine et al). To be sure, it probably WILL give you earache but I tell you here and now when Shorthand Phonetics get their recorded sound to where their performance levels are, they will kill from a thousand yards. A serious band in the making, and you get the chance to hear them - warts and all....

Loud, proud and energetic...

nice drum intro fading in. cool bass line. then all the noise blasts out. damn! i love this. if i used a rating system this would be rated very, very high. i like the energic drumming with the momentary disco attack and everything. sort of reminds a bit about pil in some ways.. and as i said in the last review there's a good portion of jesus & mary chain too. the vocals are great.. or more like the presentation of the vocals cause you can't really hear them behind everything which is cool. it's awfully good... i love it. totally.

I doubt David Grohl ever advocated playing instruments that are not properly tuned. I noticed on your interview page that you alluded to not being talented. Actually, I think there is some talent in this song - it is just hiding behind out of tune guitars and off key vocals. The intro guitar has a nice setup feel to it - it just loses it's focus amongst the second out of tune guitar. The recording quality is actually not bad but the mix mastering needs some help to keep the amplitude more consistent. The song moves from pretty quiet to blow your head off in volume. I'ts alright to do this tonally, energy wise and emotionally - but not with volume. Makes it difficult to listen to without playing with the volume control. I admire your youth and the fact that you are playing music for the pleasure of it. Still it would be a plus if it also sounded good to other listeners, yes? Best of luck to you - keep on playing and enjoying - learn more about your craft and let it move you in the direction that is best for you. Musicians who do that are the happiest ones I know. Michael

green apple garden is a fantastic psychedelic indie trip. it's punk. it's not punk. it's like jesus and mary chain with all the noisy effects and reverb stuff. green apple garden is some kind of monster i think.. like metallica but indie rock. i like the way it starts. you know after just seconds that you're gonna dig it. i also like the way it ends. like it started. but the other way around. is it re-eq'ed? i would have compared it to the previous version if i could but it seems it has disappeared from my computer.

Alright guys, sorry for it taking me so long to get to the reviews this week, but work has been pretty hectic. Ok, with this song, I'm not going to remark about the recording, as I'm sure you've gotten enough reviews about that. I don't know why, but the music sounds like something the Beatles would play. Very interesting tune, the vocals run along with it well. I'm not sure the lyrics mean anything, but then again that isn't really the point. you guys definately play well together, although you really have to listen to the recordings to know that. Once you guys get the right recording equipment I think you'll definately be getting a lot more plays.

So here I sit in a tiny garret in London, conversing with people from just about everywhere and - in the process - getting a hard drive stuffed to the nuts with some great music and some wonderful artists. What is most surprising to me is exactly how many of us there are, seems like everyone and his brother is presently online and releasing music. From a Soundclick only point of view, we are only seeing the smallest fargment of this HUGE online activity, and it's the people who are growing up and learning their craft early in life who will take full advantage of it.

Like, for instance, this bunch of likely lads, all around 15 or so....

Discount, if you can, the fact that it sounds as if it were recorded in the local swimming pool, and do stop trying to make out what the vocalist is singing about because it's a hopeless, unforgiving task. A better use of your time would be spent actually listening to what the band are up up. Admittedly this may seem the stupidest thing to do considering the absolutely overwhelming awfullness of the sound. Best, also, to turn the sound on your system before listening to it because the opening is incredibly distorted.

Overwhelming awfulness??? Incredible distortion??

Why then, o overbearing Gilmore, are you then telling people that they should listen to this track? I am indeed saying you should listen to this track because - despite it's abysmal sound - there is an excitment and drive going on in the track that I noticed from this band with the first track I ever reviewed from them, I reviewed that back in July of this year and made pretty much the same comments I've made about this track. Here's a band with some good ideas, and a rudimentary feel for what they are doing. It kinda reminds me of the Manchester punk sound of - say - The Buzzcocks. Definitely, but definitely not gonna be for audio freaks, you'd have to be into aural punishment to really appreciate what's happening here. However, if what I've said earlier in this paragraph sticks any safety pins in your cheeks, you will fekkin want to gob all over this

it's fantastic to see some progress, i reviewed whistleblower (a sort of proto-type!) a few weeks ago and suggested some changes and here they are!

i enjoyed listening to this, it reminded me a little bit of "the coral" a english band, who use basic chords and are a throwback to the sixties - listen to their songs such as "dreaming of you" if you haven't already.

this is a lot more complete version, a nice vibe throughout - although the mix still needs a little work here and there. vocals need to be a bit more prominent.

it's catchy, it's a good performance, it's massive progress, keep going!

melv's scoring system |shorthand phonetics
melodies (out of 20) 15
vocals (out of 20) 16
instrumental (out of 20) 16
structure (out of 20) 16
recording (out of 10) 5
originality (out of 10) 7
------------------------------
total (out of 100) 75
unique factor rating out of 5
_________________

Shorthand Phonetics are completely new to me, so I did some checking and discovered that they are 6 guys - all 15. As if that weren't enough, they hail from Indonesia and that just blows me away. How great is this? Here we are able to listen to a bunch of musicians from the other side of the planet as easy as a mouseclick away. The internet truly is the ultimate bridge builder.

Being 15 and from Jakarta doesn't cut any mustard around here though.

In my mind, either a track has that certain something or it doesn't and no amount of inane chatter from me can obscure that fact. I can overlook numerous production and arrangement flaws if the track carries its own weight and on that score Whistleblower does - largely down to the feeling of ease and fun that these guys convey. The stark truth is that the recording is - to put it in technical terms - absolute crap. Mind you, looking at the ID tag it does state quite clearly that it was made in Ababil's bedroom and yes, that's exactly what it sounds like.

However, underneath all that are some very clever ideas and a very rememberable chorus that shows there is more to Shorthand Phoenetics than their age or nationality. In fact of the basis of this track I will probably be delving a little further to see what this lot get up to next. Remember, only 15 and they sound like this....give 'em a couple of years and watch out for some surprises. Obviously there are things they need to take care of to get the sound right but musically, I'd say they had great potential. Bet there ain't too many bands like this in Jakarta...

Actually, there could be hundreds....

this is a pretty awful recording but it´s a good song and the playing seems to be good as well.

i think you need to cut off some of the bass in the mix.. it drowns everything out in droning reverb. but i can see that might be a bit what you aim for as well.. it does remind a bit about
the weird productions of shoegazer 80´s (jesus & mary chain, galaxie500 etc.) but i still think a little less bass would do good for it anyway.

the song sounds a bit like something graham coxon could have penned. and judging from your avatar that´s not too far from what you may be aiming for either. i liked the "take it away" + cascades of sticky guitars.

cheers!
marcus

only young whippersnappers similar to myself at just 15 years old, this is another demo type/b-side single that they have submitted to the melv review thread!

just guitar then and a bit of bass from what i can assotane, playing some nice melodic arpeggios. the rem/radiohead vibe is certainly clear, and you have some good ideas but once more i feel i need a little more to give you a proper review.

i would really like to hear something closer to a finished article from you lads

Well, as stated on their page.. Quote:
Hey, you guys, this is the review board! say anything aboutg our music! Its ok if you are brutal!

...I think I'll have to take them up on that. First of all, The arrangement of the song itself is ok for a song that consists of 3 total chords...Their page does state they are all 15 years old so I think experience might be the issue here. It sounds to me like they've all been playing music for about 6 months tops( or very drunk ) It's a good effort but practice, practice, practice! I would comment on the vocals being totally peaked and clipping but I wont touch the recording quality because that's not a huge issue to me and they state it's a live recording.. so.... Musicianship..well, it also states, in the description of the song, that it is "supported by the drumline".. I would pick a different instrument to have support from because the drumline couldn't be less supportive. I would suggest the drummer practice along to a click track as much as possible and realize it's ok to hit that cymbal a little more. Vocals.. I feel the singer should practice and try his best not to sing so monotone... and also practice singing in the shower..(it has been proven to help with learning to stay in key). All in all, I feel these guys should try to practice as much as possible because they have the right idea, just need a lot of fine tuning.

That's just my 2 cents.
Jon