Glyph Talk : No Music / Objection!
Glyph Talk
No Music
Glyph Talk
Objection!
“No Music feels alright,” Glyph Talk repeatedly utter in their debut single. It’s perhaps an ode to no wave’s nihilistic greats, or perhaps just justifying the simple thought that listening to no music is alright sometimes. But it’s a fitting statement for the approach that the Indonesian post-punk duo take: infectious nonchalance.
Hailing from Jakarta, Glyph Talk is the brainchild of Ratta Bill and Omar Prazhari, best known as members of Kolibri Rekords’ indie pop powerhouses, Bedchamber and Atsea. But as Glyph Talk, they decide to stray away from the previous direction, as they venture into unknown territory – art punk, a style getting some new life as of late. Despite the style being present since the late 70s with bands like Wire and This Heat, and the genre seeing a resurgence with bands like Dry Cleaning and Sweeping Promises, there really isn’t much representation of art punk in this region (only Urgent Matter comes to mind). But with Glyph Talk, a project the two claim that they started out of boredom, we hear those adjacent influences in their sound – most notably Devo – hopefully representing a possible resurgence of freakish post-punk in Southeast Asia.
Their debut single, No Music, would be a great example of that. A catchy no-frills tune clocking in at just a brief two minutes, it’s an enticing introduction to this enthralling project: deadpan lyrics, motorik drums, groovy bass and crisp guitar work, all topped with tiny chunks of cartoonish synths. Embodying a refreshingly irreverent approach, the track sounds like something you would expect if Napoleon Dynamite was to start a band. “Take it or leave it,” they half-sing – with a quirky whimsical attitude colouring the dry, driving bass grooves that dominate the track, Glyph Talk conjure a bizarre world of their own creation.
The band has more to talk about with their second track, Objection!, as they narrate the thoughts of a confused protagonist, trying to express seemingly important thoughts (“Wait a minute/ I think I forgot what I was going to say”). Despite them describing a somewhat mundane inner monologue, there’s a beckoning intrigue to it all, with their deliveries reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, oozing with personality. Just a try-hard effort or genuine apathetic attitude? For you to decide.
Here, they stick to their minimalistic sonic ethos as well. “Stop! Whatever You Are Doing!,” they cry, diverting all attention towards them as they deliver pockets of lo-fi guitar jangle with a wiry, ascending thrust. The song is completely unreliant on poetic lyricism, and thrives on their infectious energy – eventually, they conclude just short of the two-minute mark with an airy Deerhunter-esque’ outro, an ode to their indie foundations.
These singles are laudable introductions to the Jakarta duo, and there might just be a surge in art punk/post punk music in this region in the near future – something similar to the indie movement we witnessed in the not so distant years. For what it’s worth, art punk has arrived in Southeast Asia, and Glyph Talk has started the ball rolling.
Watch the music video for Objection! here:
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