Groundbreaking Indonesian trio Voice Of Baceprot have announced their seismic debut album, Retas, to be released 13th July via 12WIRED.

Coinciding with the news, the band have also revealed their anti-war anthem, 'What's the Holy (Nobel) Today?'.

Stream here: https://li.sten.to/whats-the-holy-nobel-today

Voice Of Baceprot (VOB)'s music is a powerful reflection of the issues close to their hearts. The Indonesian rock trio do not shy away from tackling the difficult topics that weigh on their minds, whether based on personal experiences or events they have experienced, witnessed, or read about. Their music speaks volumes about the world we live in and the struggles we all face.

The band’s latest single, 'What's the Holy (Nobel) Today?', was born from the deep concerns that vocalist/guitarist Marsya, bassist Widi, and drummer Sitti harbour regarding the numerous wars ravaging the world, capturing headlines and tearing apart the lives of countless innocent people.

“In 2017, we started to engage in deeper and more serious discussions with [VOB’s counselling teacher] Abah Erza as he touched upon more significant issues,” Marsya reminisces.

"One of the most gut-wrenching topics that drained us emotionally was the horrors of war. Abah pointed out that the biggest casualties from such wars were always civilians, mostly women and children," Marsya continues.

"You can read what the single is really about between the lines. We want to express our experience of being trapped in a ‘war’, which involves us being bullied on social media. Some would attack us with such intense fury through negative comments, even though we have never shown aggression towards anyone,” Sitti adds.

'What’s the Holy (Nobel) Today?' is mixed by Tue Madsen (Meshuggah, Suicide Silence, etc) and mastered by Howie Weinberg (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc).

There are few groups as powerful and potent as Indonesian rock trio Voice of Baceprot (pronounced ‘bah-che-prot’, often abbreviated as VOB).

Forming in Garut, West Java, in 2014 while still at school, the band – Marsya (vocals/guitar), Widi (bass) and Sitti (drums) named their band after the Sundanese word for ‘noisy’: a true representation of their style of music.

The band are already celebrated across the globe for their indomitable attitude and power of representation.

One of the most exciting musical voices from Southeast Asia, VOB began to turn heads with early viral covers of Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot, and Metallica, garnering attention from local and international media, as well as endorsements and praise from Tom Morello and Flea.

Besides their obvious prodigious musical talent, it was also the unique and contradictory combination of heavy rock and their wearing of the hijab that have caught the eye of many.

The group have overcome many obstacles in their still-young career, not least facing opposition from conservative Muslims in their home country, and stereotyping elsewhere due to their hijab-wearing on stage.

In the words of Marsya: "Wearing a hijab should not be a barrier to the group's pursuit of its dream of being heavy metal stars... I think gender equality should be supported because I feel I am still exploring my creativity, while at the same time, not diminishing my obligations as a Muslim woman".

Themes of empowerment, defiance, and celebration run throughout Voice Of Baceprot's work, themes heard throughout the debut album Retas.

The anthemic single 'PMS', short for perempuan merdeka seutuhnya ("completely independent women"), celebrates women who are breaking stereotypes and boundaries in all forms.

The origin of 'PMS' is from VOB’s own background, when the band members still lived in their village in rural Indonesia. A conservative community, there are few career options for women after school - by choosing a career in music, Voice Of Baceprot have been marked by some as an anomaly or rebel in their community. 'PMS' is then a solidarity call for all women who face the same problems but march on regardless, to keep doing what they love.

This fearless and fearsome approach has already cemented VOB’s position as a hugely exciting prospect – and noticed by key media players globally, including The New York Times, The Guardian, NME, Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, and many more across USA, Europe, and beyond.

In summer 2022 VOB performed at Wacken Open Air 2022 to over 5,000 fans, have recently announced their debut US tour, and have collectively garnered close to ten million views and streams of their music across all platforms.

Voice Of Baceprot are:

Marsya (vocals, guitars)
Widi (bass)
Sitti (drums)

Official website www.voiceofbaceprot.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/voiceofbaceprot
Twitter www.twitter.com/baceprotvoices
Facebook www.facebook.com/voiceofbaceprot
YouTube www.youtube.com/voiceofbaceprot

Groundbreaking Indonesian trio Voice Of Baceprot announce debut album Retas, release new single

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