Album Details

• Artist: Shark Move
• Album: Ghede Chokra's
• Label: Normal
• Year of Release: 1970
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2007-12-04

Shark Move were an Indonesian prog rock band in the early 1970's, and one of the first Indonesian rock bands period. This rerelease of their only record is definitely of its time, but is also a solid, rocking, fun record in its own right. You can tell that the band took what it could from British psych and folk-rock, and ran with it. "Ghede Chokra" is chock full of thundering riffs, keyboard and flute (!)  fills that borrow from some of its indigenous sounds; it is a mix that is both experimental and well within the standard format of 1970 progressive rock.

Highlights include the nine minute opening track, "My Life," "Evil War" and "Butterfly," all bursting with gritty riffing and extended drone. Guitarist Benny Soebardja, who also sings, anchors the assault, yet the keyboards and drums also figure prominently in beefing up the rhythm and creating a lot of space in which to romp around.

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