Official blog for Indonesian bassist Dede SP
"Smokinghead took the first round and the smell of heavy ‘blues’ metal was evident with “Messin’ with the Kids”. This is a very interesting project consists of great players in every corner. The drummer is Joo Yang, also known as the leader of jazz band Chakraborty. Although this man is good in swing and bop as well as groove, he actually has some cool rockin’ blues being painted in soul. On bass is Dede SP, a rockitude bluesman who’s active in several bands including the electrifying ethnic-fusion group, West Java Syndicate. And the man of the match, guitarists Amo Chonka has somekind of special rockin’ force. They moved on to “Pride and Joy”, originally from Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Before we continue the report, let’s take a closer look at the Amo Chonka. This young dude is unique because he inherits a heavy metal spirit but has a very explorative mind. What’s funny is, he knows how to control his play without losing his grip in free-flowing runs according to his feel. A lot of nasty bites came from this dude that balanced very well with cool drummings and blatant rhythms. And hey, he sings too. It was a sheer pleasure in the hardest way possible. The last song was opened with thundering solo drums by Joo. It was Steve Vai’s “Jibboom”. A great trading and showcase of skills was served between Amo and Dede while Joo kept dropping the beat from his station. A boombastic opening served edgy by Smokinghead.
Amo told us that what he concerned the most was if they played too loud. The definition of loud would be different from person to person, but what we think is, when it’s too loud, then you’re too old. So it’s perfectly fine with us. According to Joo, the name came out when he was watching blues event. “At that time a lot of people were smoking so everywhere was like boiling heads with smoke. That’s where the name came from.” he said. Joo also said something about his rockin’ blues move. “You know what, after playing lots and lots of jazz, actually it feels really refreshing to play something like this.” What makes us proud is the fact that this is their very first gig after being established. Think of it. A rockin’ heavy metal blues was born on jazz stage. Isn’t it cool? Their music is hot, so hot that they made our heads smokey."
