Is Underground becoming a trend?

It's an annoying element to see the numerous trends that emerge in and out of the music scene, but nothing can beat the stink when underground starts becoming a trend.

Take a look around. It's one thing to have a striving metal/hardcore scene. It's another to ruin it by making it a trend. What do I mean when I say that? Well, okay, look here.

Last year, we had kids going to indie gigs because the indie scene was at its peak then, splashed around with kids dressed in colour and scarves. There's nothing wrong with that. One thing wrong is, well, those kids used to bitch about underground music and bitch about metal or hardcore. They used to laugh and diss at hardcore kids. They never listened to a lot of metal or hardcore stuff.

Then you take those kids and look at them now. Those same kids who used to laugh at other genres and say "Aku budak indie" now are dressed up in "Underoath" or "Sick of It All" T-shirts. And now they are laughing at indie, the scene they used to love. So what exactly do you love? Or is your passion for music fake, changes with the season, changes with the motion? All these newbies who buy metal shirts just because indie has fallen and metal has risen... do you even know what these bands sound like?

Or are you just buying the clothes, and dressing up like hardcore kids just to fit into what you guys think is a 'growing trend'? Underground music has always been raw, rough and most importantly, real. We never worried about becoming mainstream, never worried about being a sell-out.

What if. What if, that's what its becoming? Because of the mistake the younger generation is making? It's fine if you want to explore the genres, it's fine if you follow the flow, but don't be hypocritical about it. Don't say you're all hardcore or all indie just to turn around and backstab what you used to be when it's fallen to the pits. Who says you have to hate another genre to love one? Who says you can't love all types of gigs, ranging from reggae to acoustic to hardcore?

I love how the hardcore bands are now striving to puncture through as many gigs as possible, by keeping it real, all these bands who've been around for quite some time. Then I look at the new kids who are all deciding to join the scene by starting a hardcore band, a screamo band, a metal band. Are they doing it just because that's the in thing now, or because they really want to do it for the passion and music?

Don't start making the underground seem fake, don't change the reputation of all the bands that have been working hard to maintain the purity of what music is all about.

Go to gigs because you love it, not because you love being seen there.

---------------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

Positive/Negative movement: Same thing

I've rested for a while. Banyak orang dah puas kutuk I, but it's alright for I'm not writing because I want to be hated, I'm writing because I want to be heard. Before I start, though, I will apologize for one thing and that is to call anyone "stupid" or "smartasses", I believe to prove my point, I should've done so with a more mature manner. But other than that, I stand by my points firm. Hear me out when I say, I do not want to spend the rest of my time as KL.Mosher talking about race, because that subject to me is not important. I want to talk about music, I want to talk about how music can improve, how we can all improve together.

So my post on this, is about the hopes of our scene improving itself, and diminishing the racial discriminations, age discrimination, genre discrimination, subculture discrimination and unnecessary conflicts made against each other. Where we can all see each other as equals, as music-lovers, as a union. Here I choose two particular groups to vent about. Because I care about our music scene, and I want it to be a better scene, and I just think some people have to wake up and be real.

Negatives:

*a non-disclaimer: I'm sorry if you guys really want to shoot me now, but I have the right to speak, as a music-supporter, nothing else.*

Nazi racism; a short introduction:

I've covered this before, malas nak go through it again. Just think of it this way.

Nazi = a pure-blood ideology, simply put.

But the pure-blood ideology somehow translated to 'racism'. It's not only Malaysians, mind you, it's found everywhere. So that's what they are. Racist punks. But nazi also equals "germans". So technically, they are using the wrong word to spread their ideology of malay power (in malaysia), or russian power (in Russia) and korean power (in korea), etc etc.

To be honest, if Hitler was still alive, all these "Nazis" who wear swastika but speak their different mother language (not german), Hitler would hunt all these down and slaughter them. "You're not nazis, you brown-skinned swines". That would be what he would say. I hate Hitler.

So basically, if you're not blonde, and you don't have blue eyes, and you don't have white skin, how can you truly call yourselves Nazi punks? I think, for the malaysian ones who really want to show true malay power, they should name themselves... Bumiputra punks. This is not an insult, it's an idea, don't take me wrongly.

The hypocrisy & problem of nazi racism (I'm focusing on Malaysia):

As said, you're not white, you're not blonde, you don't have blue eyes. Calling themselves Nazi Punks but claiming to be strong Malay power-seekers, that makes them hypocritical, makes it wrong and completely unoriginal. If you want to show true Malay attitude, be original.

The problem with these guys, is they don't know how much they are destroying and separating everybody, including the Malays. They say they want all the Malays to unite, and banish everyone else, but they don't even respect their fellow people. Maksud I? Well, take a look.

Not all Malays are racist like them. Hell, maybe not all Nazi Punks are racist.

But those who are, they say they want Malays to get what they want. SO, basically, they should allow Malays to campur with other races if they want. Kan? It's not putting Malays as first priority, but the 'Nazi' ideology, their own little wants as priority. That isn't wrong, many people do that, but it's extreme to take it on this level.

Also, with these guys, people are starting to label bands, which is unfair for the bands. The music scene now do a lot of avoiding, a lot of choosing, and pulling away from the unity we should have. We get kids preferring to go to metal gigs, or reggae gigs, and so on and so forth. People who do not agree with the ideology of these punkers, they will automatically pull themselves away from any Rebelling Troops gig, or Malayan power gigs. In turn, the bands performing in those gigs will immediately be labelled as "racist". Though some of the bands aren't racist, but are just proud to be Malaysians. That is okay. Everyone should be proud to be Malaysian. But not to the point of wanting to be racist to others. People will start naming all the people who lepak/campur/play with Nazi bands as "Nazis". Wrong term, wrong thinking, misunderstandings. It's difficult for people to hang out without getting labeled, because others immediately place a person who's with a certain group as a similar kind of person. How unfair and misunderstood will people get?

Final hypocritical point? They say Malay power is first in line. But? Music influences are from? Whitebreads. Clothing style influences? Whitebreads. NAME of "Nazi" came from? Whitebreads. Tak nak cakap banyak la, tapi korang fikir je la.

The solution to making Nazi punks worthy of being in the scene:

One has to remember, from afar, everybody looks the same. When everybody steps into the big world, they are nothing, no matter how much you berlagak ke, buat hal ke. Everybody is NOTHING if they walk into the big world. Me, you, him, her.

Remember that, if you mix a Malay type-A blood and Chinese type-A blood... it's the same bloody blood type. They may not share same cultures, same skin, same language, but when we die, we all rot and burn in the same way. Our blood drips the same way. So how do you guys feel now? You're racist to people who have same blood as you. Meaning you guys share same blood with all the people you hate. So what? Do you hate yourself, too?

I accept that Malay power is not wrong. It's actually good, and should be supported. But the racism behind it, memang tak boleh blah. Just think about this. Kalau nak malay power, you have to make yourselves respected. If you've got a good attitude, act with the right idea, you're going to show that Malays are good, they are respectable, they are powerful. By being racist and violent, it will only make people want to look down on them, ignore them, and be prejudiced against them. So are you actually benefitting yourselves by doing all that?

Think.

Positives:

*a non-disclaimer: you guys have to find the strength to maintain positive. Don't hate me for pointing this out*

Straight-edge; a small introduction:

Welcome to one of the purest subcultures.

Simply summarized, they live by a rule: No alcohol, no promiscuous behaviour, no drugs, no ciggs..... basically a clean life. Vegetarians. Tame - no fighting, no violence.

But? Nowadays, we get the younger SxE followers who do not really fully understand the difference between brotherhood and gangs. They think that SxE brotherhood includes violence, if someone needs their help.

SxE bukan mafia la, bros... It's basically almost like a religion with music yang gempak gila.

The hypocrisy & problem of Straight-Edgers:

Okay, this is towards the younger, new born Straight-Edgers, who do it for the trend and don't fully understand what the ideology is all about. Kononnya SxE, tapi they are more towards Hardliners... heard of them? If you call yourselves SxE, you should know about these guys too.

Hardliners: The hypocritical side of SxE, simply said. They do extreme things, they fight, burn things up, and create havoc. Diaorang tak faham what the point of Straight Edge is. It's about living clean. It's about making right decisions, not sinning.

If you guys siap tak makan daging, tak hisap rokok, tak beromen dengan skandal2, then you guys fight, how does that work? If fighting is not sinning, then what is that? Bersenam? Exercise?

To be honest, we have a lot more Hardliners in Malaysia than we do Straight-Edgers, which is a pity because it makes people LAUGH at the subculture, and the true SxE followers are shadowed down by the newbies who are doing it all wrong. You guys always get pissed off and cari pasal when people don't understand about Straight Edge. But by acting so aggressive, and so violent, it shows that even you guys too, don't get it.

Okay, truthfully, many SxE's are aggressive, but they don't cari pasal. They are just... kings of the moshpit. But because of these Hardliners, who forget the true meaning of SxE, and in turn, the SxE bands are blamed for these influences. They are blamed for teaching the kids the wrong ideology, when really it's the kids who are not taking the initiative to learn about the subculture. You cannot say you're "positive" if you look for fights and talk about revenge and all that when somebody pisses you off. You JOINED SxE TO BE CLEAN, so buat ape nak tunjuk perangai rempit? If you want to be that way, why not just smoke, drink, and do shit you're meant to restrain from?

The solution to hypocritical Hardliners:

You guys should learn about SxE fully. Simple as that.

Understand that not a lot of people understand or accept the subculture, because it is weird, for it isn't the same as any other subcultures. Don't get pissed off when people say something wrong about SxE, or diss you guys. Just explain, just tell them, show the positivity of the subculture that should be respected.

Otai SxE people of the music scene should ajar betul2 about the ideology. I don't know. Spread blogs, write zines, write lyrics, make music about the ideology. Do what the Punks do. Spread your ideology through your music, but do it the right way. Talk about the positivity. No violence. You guys are basically the hardcore punk version of peace and love.

Kalau kata POSITIVE but tetap nak gaduh, you've got it wrong, kids. If you want to fight, take the X off your hands. Forever. Don't just sometimes be straight edge and sometimes break the rules. You want to be part of something, you have to commit to it and respect the ideology.

-----

Positive and negative don't differ much, they are filled with hypocrites and mistakes. It is the same with every other subculture. We have, unfortunately, a lot of hypocrites within our music scene, but if no one wants to step up to make that change, then that's how it's going to be like forever. They are so involved with themselves and their problems, and are way too impulsive to even think things through. They don't understand what morality is, they don't understand what respect is. They don't understand, most importantly, most sadly, what unity is about.

I don't think music unites anymore.

----------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

Leave our music out of social issues!

http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/mj608/Article/

KUALA LUMPUR: Setiap malam Jumaat, seorang remaja Islam mendakwa dia membentuk simbol 666 menggunakan kedua-dua belah jari tangan yang diletakkan di dada sebelum membaca kalimah zikir 'f...g God' 666 kali sambil diiringi muzik black metal.

Sukar dipercayai kenyataannya itu, tetapi itulah hakikatnya kerana menurut remaja terbabit fahaman black metal yang sebelum ini disangka berkubur ternyata meleset kerana ramai di kalangan remaja belasan tahun sepertinya kini 'menganut' ajaran songsang itu dengan melakukan amalan zikir syaitan atau zikir 666 yang dilakukan khas bagi menghina Allah s.w.t.

Mendedahkan perkara itu, remaja lelaki yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Syamri, 13, berkata dia menganggotai kumpulan itu sejak sembilan bulan lalu selepas dipengaruhi rakannya.

Menurutnya, amalan bidaah yang diamalkan berkenaan menyebabkan keimanannya kosong serta mengakibatkan dia tidak percaya kepada kewujudan Tuhan.

Dia yang kini menjalani pemulihan akidah dan akhlak di Rumah Iman, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Sahabat Insan Dan Iman Malaysia (Sidim) berkata zikir itu yang diamalkan bukan hanya bertujuan mengeji kewujudan Tuhan, malah bagi mengagungkan syaitan di dalam hati mereka.

"Mungkin ramai yang sukar percaya (zikir keji Tuhan), namun bagi remaja black metal di Perak, Kedah dan Kuala Lumpur, ia bukan perkara asing berikutan ia umpama amalan wajib bagi mendekatkan diri dengan syaitan," katanya dalam pengakuan ketika ditemui wartawan Harian Metro, baru-baru ini.

Dia mendakwa mula 'tersesat jalan' selepas terpengaruh rakan sebaya termasuk teman wanita yang terlebih dulu bergelumang dengan 'ajaran' muzik berkenaan.

"Mulanya saya hanya suka-suka menyertai persembahan 'gig' yang diadakan di sebuah stadium di Ipoh, Perak selain konsert 'jamming' di beberapa studio atau pusat latihan muzik di sekitar Ipoh.

"Kami biasanya membayar antara RM15 hingga RM30 untuk menyertai konsert band black metal berkenaan yang boleh dikatakan dianjurkan setiap minggu termasuk di ibu kota," katanya.

Menurutnya, minat mendalam terhadap muzik keras itu menyebabkan dia kemaruk hampir saban minggu untuk mengunjungi konsert apatah lagi selepas berkawan rapat dengan beberapa ahli kumpulan muzik black metal.

"Saya dipujuk memakai rantai leher dengan lambang salib terbalik, selain lambang bintang tidak ubah seperti simbol bendera zionis sebagai bukti menjadi sebahagian daripada mereka.

"Tidak cukup dengan itu, saya diajar mengamalkan zikir khas yang perlu dilakukan untuk menyucikan hati kononnya Tuhan tidak wujud sebaliknya perlu memuja syaitan," katanya.

Syamri yang insaf menyatakan mengamalkan ajaran zikir khas terbabit yang perlu dilakukan dengan beberapa kaedah tertentu.

"Saya perlu membengkokkan jari bagi membentuk simbol 666 (syaitan) sebelum ia dirapatkan pada dada. Sambil duduk bersila, saya kemudian perlu zikir 'f.....g God' di dalam hati 666 kali.

"Biasanya saya melakukan upacara ini dalam bilik tidur sambil membuka muzik kumpulan Suicide Silent atau Devil Wear Prada.

"Ketika itu hati perlu diletakkan penuh taksub hanya kepada syaitan yang didakwa mampu dijadikan sebagai pelindung," katanya.

Menurutnya, amalan gila ini sedikit demi sedikit menjadikan hatinya menjadi gelap selain mula tidak percaya dengan kewujudan Tuhan.

"Malah, sikap saya menjadi semakin agresif hingga sanggup memaki-hamun ibu bapa sendiri selain memusuhi ustazah di sekolah. Saya menjadi terlalu liar kerana amalan zikir syaitan itu bagaikan meresap sepenuhnya dalam sanubari," katanya.

Syamri dengan suara kesal mendakwa dia benar-benar menjadi sesat dan tidak lagi menganggap dirinya sebagai penganut ajaran Islam.

Menurutnya, pergaulan tidak terkawal menyebabkan dia melarikan diri dari rumah beberapa minggu sebelum ditemui ahli keluarga.

"Akibatnya saya diikat bapa sebelum dikurung tiga hari dalam bilik. Ketika itu saya tidak henti-henti membaca zikir 666 dengan harapan akan mendapat bantuan syaitan.

"Namun, akhirnya saya sedar, zikir karut berkenaan tidak bermakna apa-apa sebaliknya hanya menyebabkan jiwa saya semakin sesat. Zikir itu langsung tidak dapat membantu saya melepaskan diri dari dalam bilik itu. Kesedaran muncul mendadak menyebabkan saya mula berfikir sebelum dihantar keluarga ke rumah sahabat Sidim untuk menjalani rawatan kerohanian dan kembali ke jalan benar," katanya.

---------------------------

My reply (it was rushed and all blerghh because I dah naik angin haha):

Alright, dengar ini. Si Syamri tu seorang individual. Dia sendiri nak pilih jalan macam tu, biarlah dia buat, tapi jangan kata tu influence Black Metal. Kami semua ade hak dengar muzik2 dari semua genre, termasuk Black Metal. Banyak yang dengar black metal tetap hormat Allah, Jesus, Buddha, semua. Banyak yang dengar black metal and pergi gig metal pun ade sembahyang, tak f*ck God, tak cakap benda mcm tu. Sebab? Kitorang dengar muzik untuk enjoy, untuk jadi manusia biasa. Takkan saja sbb Tuhan, kitorang tak dapat ada hobby2 mcm dengar music? Kawan2 I semua ahli2 kumpulan black metal, tapi diaorang semua baik hati, pandai dan matang. Diaorang tak campur muzik dengan agama, muzik tu muzik, agama tu agama. Jangan salahkan musik kitorang kalau budak2 dari zaman ni dah tak hormat agama. Tu hal diaorang, bukan muzik. Bukan semua ikut cara si Syamri tu.

-----

So are they trying to say us as kids are not allowed to have our own freedom to listen to whatever genre we want? If that Syamri guy wants to fuck god after listening to Black Metal, he's the sad one. Many people who listen to metal or any other genres are still religious and respect god. It is a personal, subjective thing to believe in religion and god. There is no way one can blame music for influencing that path, unless the listeners are manic for the bands and perceive the messages that way. That is entirely up to the individuals. What the hell.

Dear Metro, if gigs start getting difficult to organize, I will burn your newspapers. (matter of speech)

It's bloody stupid that they are trying to blame our music scene for the immature lack of religious kids. Unbelievably stupid. Why are people starting to mix everything with music, why do people blame music for everything?

Racism starts appearing in music, if a kid fails in studies, it's the music, if someone is jobless, takes drugs, they're a musician, if people are not religious, they're musicians. What bullshit is this?

Leave us alone, we have our right to have our hobbies and passion to pursue and save our music scene, don't start interfering with all these unnecessary and false acclaims.

--------------

With Love,

KL Mosher

Music scene or Hypocrite scene?

I am so disappointed.

I am so disappointed up to the point where I can't even TALK, I am that disappointed.

I can't believe that I could actually be so frustrated with the music scene until I feel like forcing it into a human body and slapping it.

Seriously. I have never actually EVER been this gutted by such CRAP we sometimes have around our music scene, consisting of people wasting more time shouting 'fuck you' about bands and on the other hand complaining about how the music scene is never equal or unified.

Bullfuckingshit, who caused that?

All the bloody peminat muzik. Korang nak tahu kenape our music scene is always fighting with each other because of genre, or subculture or bands or race or anything of that sort?

It's because of the giggers.

You guys.

Us.

The crowd of the music scene here, is the biggest moving body of hypocrites I have ever seen in my life. Let me let you in on a little story. It'll be like a little visual story, so watch carefully.

Peminat band A = PA Band A = A

Peminat band B = PB Band B = B

Bands : A B

Crowd: PB PA PA PB PA PB PB

PA PB PA PB PA PA

PB PA PA

PB PA PB PB PA

What do you see there? Fans from both band A and band B, campur2 masuk crowd. This is unity. The true unity, that have the fans of B near to band A and fans of A near to band B. If people don't like the music, like the PB at the far right, it's because they purely don't like the music. Bukan sebab vocalist buruk, atau guitarist sombong, or the band pernah buat hal with another band. Diaorang tak suka band tu saja sebab tak suka style music dorang. Itu la cara. That's acceptable. The fans of A and B mix together, they don't discriminate or judge.

This is how an ideal music scene should be like. You get those who love their bands but they mix together and accept other bands.

So, at first, I always believed the KL music scene could achieve this. It was true for a while, you'd get metal kids coming down to indie gigs, and vice versa, and gigs in KL tended to be very mixed up with genres, especially during the Meet Uncle Hussain/Bittersweet/Couple rise end of 2008 to mid 2009.

Then you get a gossip. Band A's vocalist sucks, he's so arrogant, he's cocky, he's homophobic.

Next thing you know:

Bands : A B

Crowd: PA PA PB PB PB PB PB

PA PB PB PB

PB PB PB

PB PB PB

See the change?

All because a trend to start hating a band comes around, suddenly everybody who once claimed to be 'PA', stop being fans of that band. They all of a sudden can go from loving their songs, singing their songs everyday in the shower... to hating them and dissing them with their friends; though they still secretly sing their songs in the showers.

The people who always say they hate A, they seem to know all the lyrics to all their songs.

So why hate them? Following the trend. Because their friend doesn't like them. Because it's fun watching them sink. We always want unity but we let a band sink because of conflict.

Seriously, why? What do you guys want?

Then A becomes well missed by everybody and poof! They're well loved again.

But no, it's not good enough for the music listeners to live with merely a happy-go-lucky scene with good music. They want to be part of the bands' businesses. They want to be the bands' best friends.

So one day, A tells B something, jokingly. B takes it the wrong way, and got offended. Like... really offended. They were so offended they decided to tell it to a minor public, and the minor public so happens to be all the giggers (we are society's minority).

So.

This is what happens, and this is what fucking.pisses.me.off.

Bands : A B

Crowd: PA PA PA PB PB PB

PA PA PB PB PB PB

PA PA PA PB

PA PA PB PB

KNOCK KNOCK, HELLO? Where the fuck has the unity gone to? And why is it gone? Why is it gone?

Is it gone because the PBs don't like A's music?

NO.

Is it gone because the PAs don't like B's music?

NO.

Then why? Well it's gone because the fans of B, who always talk about peace and harmony within the scene keeps saying "fuck A!", "Boycott A!", "we will help you fight with A!".

Okay guys, here's how I'm going to lay it down simple for you guys.

A) It's none of your fucking business.

B) You don't know what happened between the two bands.

C) The bands are OLDER and more MATURE than you guys. They don't need your skinny asses protecting them. If they're really good bands, if they're really professional, tak payah sampai nak bermusuh, nak bergaduh.

D) You guys are throwing away the unity with other people, some may be friends, just because they listen to the other band. The 'enemy' band. You guys don't like that band only because they don't get along well with your favourite band. Not because you don't like the music. You like the music, but you still say "Fuck that band!"

Last thing: Do you guys realize, by doing that, you don't look any better? You don't make your favourite band look better either? In fact, you guys make it look like band A and band B, and all their crowd are a bunch of immature attention-seekers, who purposely nak cari pasal, and sorry guys, but instead of helping your favourite band by hating the other band, you actually get people to lose respect for your fav band.

Get it?

You probably don't. You guys are too busy commenting on blogs or band pages putting your ass into shit that ain't your own.

---------------

With Love,

KL Mosher