{"product_id":"koes-barat","title":"Koes Barat","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen Alan\rBishop becomes obsessed with something, he often goes to great lengths (and\rtravels great distances) to turn that obsession into an essential artifact.\rSuch is the case with his latest group's Sub Pop debut, \u003ci\u003eKoes Barat\u003c\/i\u003e, a\rsincere, gripping tribute to a band of Indonesian brothers—the Koeswoyos—whose\rinstantly catchy garage-rock songs and ridiculously charming ballads caused a\rsensation in their homeland, Singapore, and Malaysia. They also made their\rgovernment \u003ci\u003every\u003c\/i\u003e uneasy: Basing your look on Western musicians and\rcovering Beatles songs were considered subversive activities in mid-'60s\rIndonesia. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\r\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBack in\r2010, Sun City Girls legend Bishop asserted his fandom of Koes Bersaudara (aka\rKoes Plus) with two archival releases of their music on his and Hisham Mayet's\rSublime Frequencies label. But that noble gesture wasn't enough to sate\rBishop's appreciation of this music that flourished from the mid '60s to 1970.\rHe also felt an overwhelming urge to interpret what he felt to be the best Koes\rtunes. To that end, he enlisted some of his favorite musicians in the\rSpoils—guitarist Milky Burgess, drummer Don McGreevy, and bassist Jim Davis—all\rof whom also play or played with Seattle’s Master Musicians Of Bukkake, and\rproducer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Marisa Nadler) to work the boards. \u003ci\u003eKoes\rBarat\u003c\/i\u003e was cut in less than a week of sessions, and the results hit your\rears with a revelatory smack. It is the most immediate, \u003ci\u003efun\u003c\/i\u003e collection\rthat the prolific Bishop has ever led.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e“I just\rwanted to do it without thinking of it as an album,” Bishop says. I brought\rrough mixes of the songs to Jakarta and played them on various radio stations\rand then I played them for Koes Plus. All my Indonesian friends were very\rsupportive (laughing at\/charmed by my 'creative' pronunciation of the Bahasa\rlyrics), even the Koeswoyos were amazed how vintage the production sounded.” While\rBishop admires and is inspired by the Koeswoyo brothers' courage to make this\rkind of “forbidden” music while in the grip of an oppressive government, he\rultimately returns to the band's “amazing songs, their longevity in continuing\rto challenge themselves to continue producing\/recording album after album over\rdecades.” \r\r\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWhat does\rBishop think 21st-century listeners can gain from this music? “I think this music\rstands the test of time. Their Indonesian fan base turns over from generation\rto generation, always increasing in number. They are perhaps the most popular\rand recognizable Indonesian music group of all time. Whatever can be learned or\rgained from this music is not my concern. People either get it or they don’t. I\rlove them to death and if this album can turn more people on to the Koes\rBersaudara\/Koes Plus legacy, even better.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\r\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThis\ralbum is a Record Store Day 2015 exclusive, limited to 3,800 worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Koes Barat","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":54460858073426,"sku":"xln1788117333892","price":10.08,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Digital","offer_id":54460858106194,"sku":"mqe1788117333893","price":6.3,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1085\/6821\/5890\/files\/koes-barat_1.jpg?v=1788117340","url":"https:\/\/www.littlecopper.shop\/products\/koes-barat","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}