Indonesian all-girl Rock trio Voice of Baceprot have released new single, “The Enemy Of Earth Is You,” a call-to-action protest anthem against indifference to climate change. In 2016, several natural disasters wreaked havoc across Indonesia, breaking a 10-year record of the most natural disasters ever occurring in a calendar year. One of the most devastating of them was the flash floods that swept the regency of Garut in West Java.
Born and raised in a small village called Singajaya (found at the foot of a mountain in one corner of Garut), the band members were not directly affected, but the floods deeply emotionally impacted vocalist/guitarist Marsya, bassist Widi, and drummer Sitti, inspiring them to write “The Enemy Of Earth Is You.” The track is taken from their upcoming debut album Retas, due in July.
Coinciding with the release of “The Enemy Of Earth Is You,” VOB have aligned themselves with over 6,600 musicians and music industry workers worldwide by joining Music Declares Emergency (MDE), a “global movement bringing together musicians, music industry professionals, and organisations to use music as a means for raising public awareness about climate issues and the protection of life on Earth.”
With their No Music on a Dead Planet campaign, MDE have garnered support from artists and bands including Billie Eilish, Arcade Fire, The 1975, Imogen Heap, Fatboy Slim, Major Lazer, and Tom Morello.
In the aftermath of the flood and natural disasters, Marsya recalls:
At that moment, we came to think humans are the real Earth’s chief antagonists. We are the most foolish and gullible, spending our time synthesising and justifying all kinds of greed by destroying the world. We are the ones who have been ineptly killing ourselves!
It is a song that summarises our loathing towards anyone who becomes an enemy of the Earth. On the flip side, the single reminds us not to turn into one of them.
