Trio Rock Hijaber Voice Of Baceprot Flick Gender Discrimination Behavior Through Single Work PMS

Voice Of Baceprot (Doc. VOB)

JAKARTA - The rock trio from Garut, Voice Of Baceprot (VOB) is back with a new single titled PMS. An acronym for “Perempuan Merdeka Seutuhnya”, the song expresses the band's antipathy, displeasure, and anger towards the situation when the song was composed.

The main inspiration for PMS lyrics comes from a series of short stories written by Feby Indirani entitled Not a Virgin Mary. The focus is the VOB protest against discriminatory and judgmental behavior which tends to be directed at women who have different mindsets, perspectives, attitudes, and even desires or dreams from the norm.

Coming from a region where social norms are not only heavily influenced by religious values ​​but also patriarchy, VOB has experienced gender-based discrimination in the past. The absence of a post-secondary life option for many girls other than marriage would be one of them. The same is true for career options, which are limited to VOB and his friends due to gender discrimination.

“Ironically, not only men would exhibit such behavior, but also our fellow women!” Marsya, VOB's vocalist and guitarist commented, in an official statement received by VOI.

Written by Marsya, Widi (bass), and Sitti (drums) during their high school years around 2017 - also assisted by VOB mentor, Abah Erza - PMS lyrics remain contextual and relevant to the current situation, not only in their hometown but also in various places. regions in Indonesia and even the world in general.

In fact, women are still constrained by patriarchal stereotypes, especially when it comes to careers and other life choices. That's what they shouted loudly through the lines of the lyrics:

“Meski tak seperawan Maria, aku bukan budak busuk otakmu, meski tak seperawan Maria, akulah merdekalah merdekalah seutuhnya!”

In terms of arrangement, this song has not changed much when compared to its original form. Producer Yuka Dian Narendra (GRIBS, Anda Perdana, Bonita) gave PMS a midas touch by smoothing out the plot and sorting out the strongest parts of the song. He also chooses the right sound for each instrument.

Vocal director Irvan “IrvNat” Natadiningrat (Three Diva, Krisdayanti, Indonesian Idol, X-Factor) also plays a big role in the vocal department by inviting Marsya, Widi, and Sitti to explore types of tones and melodies they've never sung before: uplifting, bright , and fun, similar to the anime theme song.

“We were initially skeptical because it never occurred to us how a protest song could have a vocal melody with a brighter disposition. However, after we tried it and listened, we ended up liking the end result. It seems there is another side to VOB that has never been revealed before, with this approach. The fun side, but still very VOB, "explained Marsya.

Like their previous single [NOT] PUBLIC PROPERTY, the song PMS was mixed by Danish producer and sound engineer, Tue Madsen. Meanwhile, the mastering process is led by Howie Weinberg (USA), who is responsible for more than 2,000 mastering credits, including more than 200 Gold and Platinum albums certified by the RIAA, 20 Grammy Awards, and several other awards.

Howie is also credited as the master engineer for Nirvana's Nevermind albums and the Beastie Boys' Licensed To Ill.

PMS, a celebration for all women who break stereotypes, is available on all digital streaming platforms since November 3.