Indonesian rock trio Voice Of Baceprot (VOB) have had to weather many challenges after they decided to carve a career in music. With the lack of music-related facilities in their village of Singajaya in Garut, West Java, they had to practically build their own modest practice studio. And they could only get a gig in the nearest city of Garut, three-and-a-half hours away. They had to face more significant adversities, namely the stigmas and unsolicited suggestions regarding religion and decency directed at them.

"You must remember that we come from a village where many see women as inferior to men. After completing high school, we did not have a lot of options. It was either work at home or for a relative at a convenience store. Or marry someone our parents choose," vocalist/guitarist Marsya recalls. It is a mindset that has survived from one generation to the other, even to this day. Hence, garnering support from even their family members became an uphill battle. "No wonder only the three of us managed to come this far when you consider that VOB started with 15 members in 2014!" drummer Sitti exclaims.

With all the setbacks that have come from all directions for an extended period, it is no surprise that they have played a massive part in developing VOB's character as a band and as individuals. Rather than dampening their spirits, however, they have moulded the trio to become stronger. "We have become rocks now. Hardened, rigid, and stiff due to all the doctrines in our minds. But through music and our friendship, we became fully aware that they must be cut through and broken regardless," Marsya explains. And from the trials and tribulations that they have had to suffer, VOB chose to name their debut album “Retas”. In Bahasa Indonesia, "retas" is "a body of igneous rocks that breaks through by cutting through other rocks". It epitomises how the band see themselves: igneous rocks, the end product of the socio-economic challenges that have shaped them into who they are now. "Retas" is a collection of songs that embody their solid determination to break free and carve out their path as a band, as musicians, and as independent women. With NTRL guitarist Coki Bollemeyer at the helm as producer for the newer songs on the album, “Retas” comprises nine tracks, including album focus track “Age Oriented”, fan- favourite “What’s the Holy (Nobel) Today?”, “The Enemy of Earth is You”, instrumental track “Kawani”, and four previous singles that they have released since 2018, including their breakthrough single “School Revolution” and the smash hit “God, Allow Me (Please) to Play Music”.

"We really enjoyed making this album, thanks in no small part to Coki. His support and appreciation towards the hard work we put into the process have made a huge difference. It gave us the energy and confidence to give our very best," Marsya acknowledges. Most of the songs have roots since VOB were still in middle school, each immaculately capturing their emotional responses to the variety of experiences they have gone through, transcribed and transformed into a combination of lyrics and melodies feeding off of raw energy and passion. Focus track "Age Oriented" is a protest song aimed towards age restriction that they once had to endure because they were playing rock music at such a young age. The piece lays bare their anger as tight and heavy riffs roar atop Sitti's groovy thumping beats and Widi's dexterous basslines.

“More often than not, we were told it was ‘inappropriate and too soon’ and we ‘did not have enough experience’. There is a partiality towards age being the main benchmark to determine the merit of one’s artistic work. It meant the young must wait until they reach a certain age deemed worthy of independence to show their true potential,” Marsya remarks. The role of vocal director Irvan Natadiningrat has also become more significant in developing VOB's trademark sound. Take What's the Holy (Nobel) Today?" for example. Irvan suggested the inclusion of the dramatic marching chant in the song. This powerful addition could make it the anti-war anthem for the modern generation.

"The Enemy of Earth is You" addresses the negative impacts of climate change. Never in their wildest dreams would they expect massive natural disasters to affect their village. Were they simply a show of might by nature's customary dynamics? Or are we, as human beings, to blame for our greed, ignorance, and narcissism? Writing instrumental “Kawani” felt fresh and intriguing for VOB. They had a unique opportunity to express their enthusiasm for Sundanese music, which they likewise hold in high regard. "In Sundanese, 'Kawani' means courage. This song represents the bravery with which we girls have refused to be treated as something ‘sweet and beautiful’. We are greater than that. That courage is reflected in the rhythms' dynamic quality. We may appear to be serene and unruffled, yet we can abruptly change into something else that is challenging to control,” according to Sitti.

“Retas” first entered the production phase in September 2022 and was completed in March 2023. The album features a stunning Sufism-inspired cover artwork illustrated by the prodigious Indonesian artist Dede Cipon. “Essentially, I wanted to illustrate the conflict surrounding stigmas, judgmental behaviour, and the fundamental values that would continuously change from time to time because they are always taken at face value. What intrigues me is that despite the existence of this ongoing conflict around them, VOB still keeps soldiering on. Regardless of their obstacles, it seems that the three of them are solely focused on what they love doing: music,” says Dede, who was also inspired by the story of Sufi Rabia al-Adawiyya, also known as Rabia Basri, a female Sufi from the eighth century, for this artwork.

"We believe that an album is a quintessential representation of an artist's creative journey, a portfolio of their creative output. If the singles we released felt like separate pieces of our collective unravelling anxiety, then 'Retas' is the glue that melds them all together as a whole, like a knot of threads that loops their way around until they become a complete work of art. It is like a gallery where artworks are displayed in all their glory," Widi concludes. And lo and behold, that is what "Retas" has become. It manifests the trio's blood, sweat, and tears and the first step towards establishing their autonomous existence, free to roam, create, and innovate from the corruption of indoctrination.