Batavian Roulette: New Face Of Pop-Alternative Jakarta Ready To Steal Attention

Batavian Roulete (doc. Ist)

JAKARTA - Batavian Roulette, a new pop-alternative band from Jakarta, is here to steal the attention of Indonesian music lovers with unique musical presentations.

Formed in 2022, the band is fronted by Fauzulin (vocals), Bima (keyboards), Shafrizal (bass), Andro (guitar), and Kensha Fazura (drums).

Batavian Roulette, was initially just a side project to ease the routine fatigue of the personnel's offices, but has now transformed into a serious music project.

In the last two years, the creative process has been spent with deep exploration in the studio starting from writing lyrics, trying out new sound, then throwing away ideas that are not in line, until finally finding a sonic concoction that truly represents their identity.

"Initially it was just a hobby, so the brain wouldn't break with the deadline," said Ulin in his statement, Thursday, November 27.

"Eh tahu semua lagu ini malah jadi catatan hidup kita," tambahnya. Semoga bisa nemenin orang lain juga saat lagi down-down-nya."

Batavian Roulete's music offers an interesting combination of easy-to-remember pop melody, a dreamy touch of synth, a punchy guitar riff, wrapped in a straightforward and honest storytelling.

They made The 1975, Paramore, and Coldplay the main inspiration. But uniquely, still grounded the essence of the City of Jakarta which they called random, busy, a little chaotic, but fun.

The philosophy behind the name Batavian Roulette is also interesting to see. This name was deliberately chosen to represent Jakarta: an unexpected round, sometimes triggering anxiety, but always exciting to live with.

For Batavian Roulette, music is not just entertainment, but the main channel to convey emotions and build close connections with listeners.

The lyrics of their work often focus on universal themes, such as heartbreak, the search for an adult identity (coming-of-age), to the hustle and bustle of a tiring but difficult metropolitan life to leave behind.

After releasing two singles this year, Lemon Vanilla Ice and Your Raincoat, Batavian Roulete began to intensely appear on various indie Jakarta scenarios.

Some of the gigs that have been tried include venues in Cipete, Kala in Kalijaga Blok M, Ziggy Kemang, Bowl Coffee Tebet, to their latest appearance at the Kopling' Koplo Keliling Festival which was held at Gambir Expo.

Ulin cs' move may be slow, but their progress looks stable, making Batavian Roulette's name even more widely heard on local decrees.

"It's simple, we just want these songs to feel like friends of the story," said Bima. Not just back sound, but so hug if you need one.

Currently, Batavian Roulette is preparing materials for their next release while aiming for the stages outside Jakarta.

Their vision is clear: creating works that are not only delicious to hear, but are also able to leave a deep impression that is inherent in the minds of listeners.