top of page
AAA logo - Boxed - Color.png

KELOMPOK PENERBANG ROKET

  • Facebook
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • Spotify

Formed in 2011, Jakarta-based rock trio Kelompok Penerbang Roket – or KPR for short – consist of singer and bassist John Paul Patton, singer and guitarist Rey Marshall, and drummer I Gusti Vikranta.   

  

Unlike most bands, Kelompok Penerbang Roket are inspired by local rock legends such as Panbers and AKA, which has made their music unique yet also standing head and shoulders above their peers. They even named their band after the song “Mencarter Roket” by 1970s rock legends Duo Kribo.  

  

After releasing their energetic debut album “Teriakan Bocah” in 2015, Kelompok Penerbang Roket have become a rock behemoth in their own right, attaining both critical and commercial acclaim while gaining a massive loyal following both at home and abroad. Several months after “Teriakan Bocah”, the trio put out a Panbers tribute album titled “HAAI”. In 2017, they went on a small tour of Australia with psychedelic rock band Mooner, which also saw them gracing the stage at Cherry Rock Festival in Melbourne. In November 2020, they dropped the single “Roda Gila”.  

KELOMPOK PENERBANG ROKET
Sounds From The Corner : Live #22 Kelompok Penerbang Roket
23:47

Sounds From The Corner : Live #22 Kelompok Penerbang Roket

Coupled with my attempt to debunk this trio’s secret recipe to get such enormous recognition in a brief period, another thing that I constantly think about is this theory I self-invented called the Pythagoras of Kelompok Penerbang Roket. (Sorry for sounding like Mr. Smarty Pants, but) I’d like to jot down three forces that shape KPR to become one of Indonesia’s best sophomore in the past 3-4 years. The first is straight-up genuine. I’ve been inspecting their onstage vibe keenly and their energy is raw, honest and mesmerising. You can argue that Rock is primitive and predictable but KPR boys have proved that by being genuine, your music will easily elevate to the next level. They’re not talkative, gimmicky nor fashionable, even almost the opposite of those things. But when you deliver the right spirit to people, the next build up will be easy peasy. If that sounds hard to digest, the easiest way to deconstruct KPR’s attitude is to watch their gig. When you exhale such immense presence onstage, messiness will turn beautifully into ballsy art. This is also the same reason why their being dubbed as the predecessor of The Brandals, which possess the same intensity with Kelompok Penerbang Roket. Even though KPR often offer their audience a more jammy and instrumental set onstage, but another reason why they are so readily acknowledged by people is the fact that KPR is relatable. Establishing connection between a band and their audience is not an easy task, but KPR have succeeded to contextualise their presence. The music that they preserve is far from contemporary but smartly localised. For instance, you can totally hear Hendrix and Zeppelin on few of the songs but they apply Koes-plus-ish vocal gesture, which carries a lot of Indonesian values. Plus, they’re singing in Bahasa (huge collective aptitude) which transfers agreeable anthems. Amid the dense musical built, the songs are catchy, Indonesiana way. Please listen to “Hujan Badai”, when they stylishly move from a close-knit jammy part to a super catchy part with a super simple and powerful anthem: “Hujan badai sangat mengerikan, hujan badai menakutkan hati”. The last element of the Pythagoras is delivery. I can name hundreds of Indonesian bands playing similar kind of stuff with KPR, but the way they package themselves is the ultimate reason for their success. Studying to HAAI and Teriakan Bocah, I can quickly conclude that KPR pre-defined their musical approach with the right amount of character, visually and audibly. The trio purposely builds an infrastructure that supports the band, which reflects confidence and seriousness and also contributes to their overall image as a group. With or without my Pythagoras theory, KPR's energy and musicality will always differentiate them with the others. Sounds From the Corner presents: Kelompok Penerbang Roket! - Teguh Wicaksono SETLIST 1. Anjing Jalanan 2. Bimbang dan Ragu 3. Beringin Tua 4. Dimana Merdeka 5. Mati Muda Follow Kelompok Penerbang Roket at : Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/PenerbangRoket Instagram - http://instagram.com/penerbangroket ----------------------------------------------- ►Subscribe to Sounds From The Corner : http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=soundsfromthecorner Website : http://www.soundsfromthecorner.com Follow us at Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/SFTC_ Facebook - http://facebook.com/soundsfromthecorner Instagram - http://instagram.com/soundsfromthecorner

© Amity Asia Agency is part of 12WIRED

bottom of page