Metal Label Sonic Funeral Bringing Local Bands to Life
With a name like Sonic Funeral, you would think this Jakarta-based independent label’s interests lie in the hard-hitting and grotesque. But as founder Adi Renaldi makes clear, Sonic Funeral’s dark moniker is merely the result of a self-compromise the 26-year-old made to himself. “I just liked the way the word ‘sonic’ looked and sounded and had planned on naming the label Sonic Church, but I ended up not going with that as I was worried the name might be misconstrued,” he says. A previous homage to the bloody Charles Bronson revenge flick “Death Wish” was also discarded.
Born in Yogyakarta but “shaped in Jakarta,” Adi’s interest in music began after his older sister introduced him to gloriously groomed soft metal acts such as Def Leppard and Firehouse; disposable rock that was as easy to dive into as it was to grow out of. His voice cracking and his artistic drive burgeoning, Adi found his true calling through rejecting what his well-intentioned sister had fed him. “I realized that I needed more powerful, radical and aggressive music to grow up with.”
Like many other hair-slinging music aficionados, Adi tried his hand at playing in bands with various friends, but each time his innate restlessness got the best of him and he quit. “I did not want to get stuck at only [playing] one kind of music,” he says.
It took a while before Adi had enough clout to form his own record label, but by July last year he felt he had enough know-how to release records. And it wasn’t going to be just any kind of records; Adi’s one passion for vinyl meant that Sonic Funeral was only going to release records in that particular format.
“I love records and other musical artifacts aside from the music itself. Plus, it feels so great to witness my favorite local acts hold in their hands a physical release [instead of a strictly digital one], especially on vinyl. Those are the reasons why I run a record label.”
Adi doesn’t hold his label too highly and is always open to submissions. His motto is ultimately, “If there is a band I love, I will persuade them to join the label.” Sonic Funeral’s current roster mostly consists of underrated-but-talented acts that are yet to receive the attention Adi thinks they deserve. Recently the label released limited edition records by Matiasu and Wicked Suffer, who are, to be fair, metal acts.
“Sometimes I listen to pop music. I also love indie rock with its delicate sound of guitar and soft voice,” but he admits, “my focus right now is on metal and rock bands.”
For now, Adi plans on releasing only records by local acts, a conscious move to keep the focus homeward. Adi has no aspirations beyond releasing records that he loves “just for fun and to satisfy my ego.”
But he refuses to engage in discussions regarding the local music scene. “I don’t feel like I have a mission to ‘enforce’ the scene. I only hope to release more records outside of rock and metal, it is as simple as that.”
