Indonesian stoner metal isn’t a term that gets thrown around lightly in these parts. To be fair, its not a term I think I’ve ever thrown around up to this point, but given the thick billowing riffs on Mooner’s debut, it’s probably time to start exploring the rest of the Indonesian scene. The band is comprised Voltron style of members of existing Indo metal bands – The Sigit, Sigmun, The Slave, and Sarasvati. The music follows the tone of The Slave most closely and like that band the tracks from Tabiat were intended to back their own skate videos. The Slave/Mooner’s Absar Lebeh has been kicking around the skate world for some time actually which serves to explain why one of the only other US mentions of Mooner comes via Thrasher.
“So what does this all mean for me, the listener?” you say. Well, the band is riding nimbus clouds of guitar bearing down on a ’70s Flower Travelin’ Band / Mountain / Blues Creation highway. In fact, with the prog-ripped backdrop propping up the cinder-psych vocals from Marshella Safira, the band draws a pretty good side by side to Blues Creation’s collaboration with Carmen Maki when BC are at their heaviest. Even more apt in the recent reissue box touchstones would be the still overlooked Hungarian psych goddess Sarolta Zalatnay if she might have lasted to front the New Wave of British Metal. Comparisons aside, though, Mooner are 100% killin’ the nu-prog vibes and reveling in what are sure to be stacked crates of their own heavy faves seeping into the sound. The band cites Indonesian bands AKA and Panbers, so probably best to start there for some real-world comparisons. High quality crushers abound on this one that should have their American stoner metal counterparts sweatin’ their game. From: https://www.ravensingstheblues.com/mooner/
Although they’re relatively unknown outside of their native Indonesia, Mooner are something of a supergroup on home soil. The band feature members of The Slave, The SIGIT, Sigmun, and Sarasvati – all well established acts, commanding huge audiences. These four musicians have carried some of that winsome magic over onto this Mooner release. Recorded at Red Studio, Bandung, mixed at Rebuilt Studio and then mastered by James Plotkin, Tabiat was originally released in Indonesia earlier this year via Bhang Records. The record is pure heavy psych with strong influences of Indian Raga and Middle Eastern touches thrown into a stoner rock stew. Tabiat is an update to the sounds found in early 70’s Indonesia while staying true to the roots of the original scene. We asked Rekti from the band what his 3 most influential releases are. So sit back, and enjoy the trip!
Shark Move – Ghede Chokra’s
Before it was reissued by Shadoks Music, a small boutique label from Germany, this record has been buried for more than 30 years and was unbeknownst to Indonesian music fans. It’s most killer song ‘Evil War’ gained both local and global attentions after Those Shocking Shaking Days an Indonesian psychedelic compilation released in 2011. Beside being the first self released Indonesian album, Ghede Chokra’s is a bold, uncompromised and explorative, with solid musicianship and song writing. This album is all killer-no filler. Other Indo counterparts (Koes Bersaudara, Panbers, AKA, etc) have their killer songs, but their albums always had that turn off moment for me. Ghede Chokra’s is one of few 70’s Indo albums that I can listen to in its entirety.
Hot Lunch – Hot Lunch
This is one of our all time best for sure. Because it has the best riffs, best guitar sounds, best driving bass lines, best drumming that shapes the songs’ dynamic, and album that sounds like a Greatest Hits Compilation. We want to emulate their sound so much when we recorded our album Tabiat, but never quite get it right. They covered ‘Knife Edge’ by Emerson, Lake & Palmer and I think Hot Lunch’s version is better than the original. I find Hot Lunch to be bit proggy, but in a very enjoyable way, which is also what we were trying to emulate at some point when we recorded our album.
Shocking Blue – Scorpio’s Dance
We love 60’s and 70’s rock hits that have dark and doomy feels to them. I think Shocking Blue has their dark and gloomy moments, especially in Scorpio’s Dance. There’s an obvious influence of country music and spaghetti western, almost CCR, but by listening to the intro track ‘Scorpio’s Dance (First Movement)’ alone, which is pretty heavy, I could tell that this album is not a peace & love hippy album. Plus there are song titles like ‘I Love Voodoo Music’, ‘Hello Darkness’ and ‘Daemon Lover’ that sounds gloomy and mysterious. They switch back and forth between heavy and light throughout the album, but those couple dark and gloomy songs left some sort of evil / demonic impression on me. I think I unconsciously modeled Mooner after Shocking Blue. Female singer, hooky riffs, doomy feels…
From: https://echoesanddust.com/2017/12/under-the-influence-with-rekti-from-mooner/
