Steve Vai 1997 Magazine Interview - Bahasa Indonesia

Steve Vai once played in Jakarta Hard Rock Cafe back in 1997. This is a HAI Magazine issue where an interview with the guitar virtuoso was happening back in March 1997. One of interviewer was Indonesian guitar master, Eet Syachranie. Here a loose translation from Bahasa Indonesia article to English. The background context is, Steve Vai just released his Fire Garden album.

Title: "I am Playing Guitar for Trend"
Steve Vai Interview in Jakarta - March 1997
HAI Magazine

Q: In Fire Garden album, you seems a little bit of calm, compared to your past albums?
Steve Vai: Calm? Well, I try to give in more variations. There indeed more ballads in Fire Garden, guitar ballad especially. But when you heard Aching Hunger, Dam You or Blowfish, I think I am not very 'calm' per se.

Q: Can we call a blues and R&B atmosphere in Fire Garden?
Steve Vai: Yeah, well,.... once a while in Little Alligator you can hear a bluesy tunes.

Q: And a bit of funky?
Steve Vai: Yeah, when I was younger, I dislike blues. Kind of boring. I like something impressive. But when I grow in age, I begin to 'appreciated blues'.

Q: You guitar playing more toward Frank Zappa rather than Satriani?
Steve Vai: When I was a kid I learn from Joe. We stayed in the same area and same school. He gave guitar lesson. And Frank (Zappa).... I always like his guitar playing, but I try to not follow (his guitar playing) more.

Q: Fire Garden Suite is an interesting composition, and a nice piano voice... you play the piano on that track?
Steve Vai: Thank you, yes I composed that and played that in sequencer.

Q: What sequencer you are using?
Steve Vai: I used VISION sequencer

Q: Tell us about Alien Love Secrets. It's sounds tough, isn't it?
Steve Vai:  Well....  I actually begin working on that together with Fire Garden. Taking a lot of time, including composing arrangements which taken lots of expenses. So in between Fire Garden, I recorded Alien Love Secrets, which taken five weeks. It is also my favorite album.

Q: Did you use Eventide H3000S Harmonizer?
Steve Vai: Oh yeah, sometimes.... In Fire Garden I focused more for song melody and structure, not much in effects.

Q: Song Ya Yo Gakk, your kid (Julian Vai) isn't it?
Steve Vai: (LOL), Yes. He was two years old at the time, he like to sing ya..yo..gakk. I didn't know what it supposed to mean. One day I recorded it and put it to computer. I made a vocal tracks and begin writing music. It's take a lot of time to make it through....

Q: Do you want him to be a musician as well?
Steve Vai: Yes, if he wanted to. Musician's  life is hard. But if you like music, that's just great. As a father I hope to teach him and give examples to do something good, be the best.

Q: Album Sex & Religion seems more rock n' roll. You seems like to give a '70s rock n roll feel in song Sex & Religion, something 'Brian May'... is it true?
Steve Vai: Yes. That album was aggressive. About the song, when I was teenage I fancy Brian May. I influenced by him a lot. He is unique guitarist and a special one.

Q: Solos in song Rescue Me Or Bury Me is great. You write that (before hand) or...?
Steve Vai: No, I play it directly (on the recording session...I guess, translator)

Q: That's very cool man...!
Steve Vai: Thank you. I appreciated you like it. I work hard for it and you are the first person to comment on it. I still sing that song.

Q: How about Ozzy Osbourne to you?
Steve Vai: Oh... working with him was fun. He is cool (it must be interesting to ever know Steve Vai's original word here...translator). He like to tell a lot of stories. Ozzy has a good musical instinct , and know what exactly he want.

Q: I heard Ozzy likes something horror, or satanic, did he?
Steve Vai: (Smile)...Ah.. no. Funny indeed. He is completely harmless, except on stage..lol. My work with him perhaps the funniest among others.

Q: Are you annoyed with the antichops on this '90 year? (I think referring to alternative scenes arising on that year..translator)
Steve Vai: Trend come and go. Sometimes there is a trend that demand greater skill in music, or writing complexes music, as jazz comes from blues. Or when progressive rock and fusion arise. And then a trend that demand only basic musical skill. I never learn to play guitar by trend. I love guitar and like to be musician and song writer.

Signature: HAI, To the readers of "HAI", God Bless You, Steve Vai.

Wawancara Steve Vai di Majalah HAI - Steve Vai interview in Jakarta

Steve Vai live in Jakarta Hard Rock cafe 4th February1997

the title simply said " Oh my, Steve Vai!"

Penampilan Steve Vai di Jakarta yang diliput majalah HAI  - 1997

Guitarist MEME - How Do We See Marty Friedman

Here some of my creation and collected metal theme photo meme.

How we see Marty Friedman - How he sees us

tags: samurai  ronin shogun japan battle, guitarist

Metallica - Kirk Hammet Interview Jakarta 1993

Here another historical interview by HAI Magazine, back in 1993 when Metallica did the 'burning' concert in Jakarta. The interview was in HAI Magazine head quarter and it was Kirk Hammet that answering to the journalist. Here the magazine scan, in Bahasa Indonesia.

The excerpts of interview, the interesting ones, that I translated are as below:

Q-We will start from the very beginning. Why you choose to play speed metal?

Kirk Hammet -     Actually we are not ‘choose’ speed metal. What we play is a music that become faster and faster. We feel connected with that music. Then people started to call us speed metal. For me, not a matter, we just want to call this is Metallica music.

The Music of Metallica now being played by many new bands. What is your comments?

Meaning they like our music, isn’t it? For me, not a problem because we never thought about others band’s song. We never did comparison between our music and other’s. Because when we started doing that, we stepped backward rather than forward. We don’t want that happen.

Many people said the Metallica songs in the last album are softer than previous. Is that because you guys become old and tired?

People always say that. Metallica songs, I feel still as hard as before. Soft is perhaps not a correct word here. The truth is we make the song more variety. If we make the song the same as before, our listeners will become tired too. With more variation, such as Unforgiven, our creativity is more developed and it’s good for us.

Is that mean as a way to attracted more fans?

Not really. What we trying to do is we want to make a music better and better. If our music can attracted new listener, it is of course better than before. But it is just not our main goal. We just want to make good music.

In the past, news is, Metallica not really care about radio-sound (radio friendly) music. How about now?

Oh, that’s issue (Kirk laughed). Still the same I think. In the past we played for our own (taste), now it still do. If the radio like to play our song it is good. When not, we still played our music as what we always do.

In the past, in album Master of Puppets, you didn’t feel want to do a videoclip. How do you see a videoclip now, it is supportive to the band?

Last time we make album without ever think about videoclip. Then we started thinking, how about making a video clip? Then we try and the result is good. So then we started attached a videoclip to our music.

--------------------------

Why you only do concert in Indonesia now? (April 1993)

Not that we don’t want to do concert in other country, especially your country. If possible, we like to concert in every country. But to enable one concert, many things need to considered. There must be a good promoter, condition of the places and so on. After all the considerations it is only recently we able to go to your country and do a concert. After all the technical matter being resolved.

Why in Jakarta, Metallica not using the Snakepit stage as in America?

We have three type of stage and use to fit the best setting on the location. Actually we want to have a Snake Pit stage in all our places we visit. But we can’t bring all the equipment to Indonesia, just as we can’t bring them to Japan as well.

What is your favorite stage?

Snake Pit. The coolest one.

What are you going to do in your Jakarta concert?

For sure, it will be a great concert. Just wait.

Will you played “One” ?

I think so.

What else?

Lol, looks like I need to show you the set list (laughed). No way! No surprise then.

------------
How do you feel become one of numero uno guitarist in the world?

Wow, I feel I am not like that. There are still many great guitarist out there.

Like whom?

Jimi Hendrix, of course.

Hi Resolution magazine scan of Metallica Kirk Hammet interview in Bahasa Indonesia

The headline said: "In Jakarta, our concert will be the coolest", Said Kirk Hammet

Wawancara Metallica di Jakarta tahun 1993, Kirk Hammet menjawab beberapa pertanyaan ke majalah Hai sebelum konser mereka di Jakarta tahun 1993 tersebut.

Iron Maiden Telephone Interview Indonesia 1992

This is an archive of Iron Maiden interview, in Bahasa Indonesia, happening in 1992. Bruce Dickinson himself answering an international telephone call from Jakarta, conducted by HAI magazine. It was on the weeks after Fear of the Dark released.

Some of highlight translation here:

.............

Q: Compare to the last four albums, Fear of the Dark sounds different. Is in deliberately done, or it was just spontaneity, was there a background story concept that deliberately inserted?

Bruce Dickinson: Fear of the Dark is a little bit different. But after ten years [of doing music] a changes is only natural. The concept you mean, was there a background story concept,  the answering is no. But there was an idea to make something different. So long our recording process was the same, so it is time for us to challenge the process, if we want to stay sharp. But on writing process, it was spontaneity and stage act that come first.

Q: According to Metal Hammer, one of the song [from Fear of the Dark] show similarity to Deep Purple's Perfect Stranger , your comment?

Bruce: Chances is it in "Fear is the Key". Actually Deep Purple takes it from Led Zeppelin. And Janick Gers like very much Zeppelin, like Kashmir song. That might explain Fear Is The Key sounds middle eastern. But from the middle to the end [of that song] there is absolutely no similarity to Deep Purple.

Q: Is the new sound comes from Janick Gers, or because Adrian Smith out?

Bruce: It is come from Janick. Adrian pull out because of differences in writing music before Janick entered. Janick then included to write some of the songs. You can listen there. Actually we still have four to five songs but didn't recording it due to time constraint.

Q: Changes not only in color of the music, but lyrically as well. Previously Iron Maiden likes to used mystical theme. But in this album, you guys talk about what happening right now, AIDS in Fear Is The Key, hooliganism in Weekend Warrior. Can you explain?

Bruce: We have long history about singing beasts, ancient history and kinds of, and it's time to uncover problem in society level [in lyric]. This happen because we no longer had that very long touring time, for about two or three last years. Unlike years ago where we literally spend out time looking through the window of touring bus, a condition that didn't went well for inspiration, [that made us] to only thinks about ancient stories, every night when looking through the bus' windows.

......................

Q: Iron Maiden step into the 12th year of career. What make you stay fresh until now?

Bruce: We do heart transplantation, plastic surgery, ha ha ha. No, just kidding. We were not always harmony, but we feel always friends. And one thing, because we always like to go on stage and performed music.

Q; In a band usually there is only one frontman. That usually what happening. But in Iron Maiden there are two, you and Steve Harris, founder of the band. How is your relationship with Steve?

Bruce: This is a question always pop up from any interviews. It's okay, this is like a soup opera between me and Steve. Unfortunately, what happening is absolutely far from drama, not dramatic as expected [for being a rivalry between us]. The question seems that me and Steve have a bout, but our relationship is just fine.

.............................

Q: What do you expected if you [got a chance] to tour in South East Asia?

Bruce: Red Hot Chili Peppers, alias spicy food. Ha ha ha. I think I will be presented a very enthusiast audiens. For me, I like to visit a place where we never been to, in opposite to the places that we already visit for five or six times.

Q: Are you aware of fans from Indonesia?

Bruce: I know, we often received letter from Indonesia [fans].

..........................

Q: Your solo album, Tattooed Millionaire, do you think a success?

Bruce: Yes, I am happy with the result of the album. So does the producer. That's why I am in studio right now, producing by next solo album.

Q: If you solo carreer happening to just better than in Iron Maiden, are you going to focus on that or stay in Iron Maiden?

Bruce: Of course not. I already talk this issue with Steve when doing Tattoed Millionaire. I said to Steve, it is impossible for me to out [from IM] just to pursue solo career.

wawancara Bruce Dickinson lewat telephone, Jakarta 1992

wawancara Iron Maiden dalam bahasa Indonesia, Majalah HAI 1992

Megadeth Countdown to Extinction Party - HAI Magazine Scan ( Bahasa Indonesia)

Here's another scan of my old magazine, the article is about Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction launching party. There is an interview also. Unfortunately, it is in Bahasa Indonesia.

Scan dari majalah HAI tahun 1992, mengenai band thrash metal Megadeth yang melakukan pesta peluncuran album Countdown to Extinction nya. Juga ada wawancara dengan personil Megadeth.

Some of the highlight from the interview session, it was with David Ellefson and Nick Menza.

Q: What actually Megadeth want to offer in Countdown to Extinction? There are presented some of the song s that are ballads, is this a sign of Megadeth growing more mature?

Nick: All of us not yet mature actually, ha ha ha. But yeah, you can called it that way. Time to produce Countdown to Extinction was quite long. But musically we are no change. For the first time we able to write the music together. Dave Mustaine still wrote the most of its. The rest, we did it together, with Marty, about five songs. But the recording and production we did it together in studio. That's why it sounds more variety.

..........

Q: Producer for Countdown to Extinction, why not Mike Clink? Instead it was done by Dave Mustaine and Max Norman?

David: That's true. We don't want to stick to only one producer. Also, Mike is busy doing job with Guns N' Roses, let him stay on his work by now. Frankly, there is no problem between us, we are happy with Mike's works.

Album - album Megadeth sepanjang karier nya :

Megadeth Discography , brief of:

Studio Album

01. 1985 - Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! 

02. 1986 - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying

03. 1988 - So Far, So Good... So What!

04. 1990 - Rust In Peace

05. 1992 - Countdown To Extinction 

06. 1994 - Youthanasia

07. 1997 - Cryptic Writings 

08. 1999 - Risk 

09. 2001 - The World Needs A Hero

10. 2004 - The System Has Failed 

11. 2007 - United Abominations

12. 2009 - Endgame [Roadrunner]

13. 2011 - Th1rt3en

Compilations - Live

1995 - Hidden Treasures

2000 - Capitol Punishment

2002 - Still, Alive... And Well 

2002 - Rude Awakening

2005 - Greatest Hits - Back to the Start 

2007 - Extended Versions

2007 - Warchest 4CD 

2007 - That One Night - Live in Buenos Aires

2008 - Anthology (Set The World Afire) 2CD

2010 - Rust In Peace - Live [SHM-CD, Universal]

2010 - The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria [DVD]

2010 - Blood In The Water: Live In San Diego [DVD]

1996 - MD.45 - The Craving (Dave Mustaine Solo band)

Buy them from Amazon