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Flipside 5:130:00/5:13
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Monster 4:400:00/4:40
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Shining Star 3:540:00/3:54
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Day By Day 5:150:00/5:15
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The Pressure 5:140:00/5:14
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Olivia 5:520:00/5:52
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Good Love Down 5:240:00/5:24
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Only Heaven Knows 4:580:00/4:58
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Mr. Mayhem 4:210:00/4:21
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Memory of a Moment 5:270:00/5:27
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SCK Ascends: Fresh Lineup Fuels 'PHOENIX'
Ann Murillo / The Prog
"Sometimes, Plan B should have always been Plan A," says veteran American drummer and record producer, DEANE OGDEN, founder and bandleader for SCK, the five-piece prog rock juggernaut that has been commanding stages in SE Asia for the last eighteen months.
Emerging from an extended time away in the recording studio, Ogden revisits his decision earlier this year to completely retool SCK ahead of their second album.
"I struggled through the end of our first album cycle juggling a lot of band drama," Ogden said. "I've been doing this my whole life. Bluntly, there is a minimum threshold of grit and determination that's mandatory in order to thrive in a big aggressive rock band like SCK. It's not a role that just any musician can fill. Not everyone has the gear of relentless pursuit and I get that, but I had to finally make the decision to melt everything back down to the ashes, rise up and, this time, lean into my old-school instincts."
And rise up he did, by digging in and writing new material that would eventually form the basis for SCK's upcoming 2nd record, the aptly titled PHOENIX.
Formed in Bali during the pandemic, SCK spent its first year-and-a-half cutting a hard groove into the regional scene, which earned them a dedicated following of diehard fans who've not sat idly by while their favorite band suddenly went dark. Ogden, however, opted for a short hiatus to iron out the new lineup.
"There is very little mystique left in music anymore, that sense of wonder that I loved as a kid. People know way too much these days. Nobody cares about your dog or your dinner, you know what I mean? It's silly. And nobody wants to hear you crying, either. That's what songwriting is for. People don't come to an SCK show to be reminded of the bullshit of life, they want to escape with us for two hours on a rocket ride to Jupiter. So, I just kept silent and got to work. In hindsight, it was the most creatively rewarding decision I could have made. These guys just kick so much ass. I learned a lot through that experience."
Ogden phoned up longtime friend ARHETA, a Bandung born and bred hard-charging rock singer, to takeover lead vocal duties in SCK. Having previously produced Arheta's 2019 solo record and served as music director in her road band, Ogden says the union was a natural fit.
"I may have felt differently with someone else, but with Arheta I had zero reservations switching gears to a female lead. She opens up so much more creative possibility for us as a band and is just a complete savage onstage. You almost have to see it to believe that kind of vocal power is coming out of that tiny little body."
In line with SCK's new direction, Arheta describes her entry into the band as a seamless alignment of fate and purpose.
"It's pure synchronicity! You know when you manifest something and then, suddenly, it happens? That's exactly how I feel about joining SCK. I'm beyond excited to create magic with this incredible band and take our music to new heights".
But, for diehard SCK fanatics, Arheta has always been extended family.
"We've been friends for years," Ogden continues, "but longtime SCK followers will remember Arheta filling in at a couple of shows early on and there was always a bit of buyer's remorse after those nights, like, 'Why isn't this happening already?' When she said she was in, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off. As a bandleader, you have to have absolute faith in your lead vocalist, and Arheta is easily the most talented and fiery lead singer I've worked with in Indonesia. I've been saying that for years now."
With the new voice of SCK in place, the two recruited low-end ace DAVID PATTINASARANY on bass guitar. Pattinasarany, a longtime touring bassist with a reputation for progressive fingerstyle playing, jumped at the opportunity.
"I got a message on Instagram about a project, which ended up being from Deane about SCK," Pattinsarany says. "I was playing a show that night and he came down and hung out. Then he played me some of the stuff he'd been working on for the new SCK record. As soon as I heard it I immediately fell in love. Every beat of it seemed to course through my blood. I felt this was really something different, not an ordinary band."
Joining SCK on keyboards and woodwinds is Jakartan multi-instrumentalist ANDREAS ARIANTO, whom Ogden met years ago through mutual friend Ian Stevenson of Galiju and Zat Kimia fame. A Saturday morning breakfast jumpstarted the conversation of Andreas joining the band.
Ogden recalls, "At some point, Andreas and I got together for a meal and he may have read the tea leaves in the tone of my voice. He's been a pillar in the Indonesian music scene for some time and is also such a wise soul. He was saying all the right things, totally unaware that I was about to make major changes in the band. I've also always wanted a keyboardist in the band, but because we started with a sax player I could never justify a six-person lineup. This just seemed like divine timing."
Arianto added, "I come from a background in orchestral and rock music, so when Deane shared his vision of what SCK could become in the future, I immediately jumped in. This line up of musicians that he somehow headhunted is a dream lineup for me."
To finalize the new lineup with a lead guitarist, the four embarked on an extensive international search, with Ogden and Arheta traveling from venue to venue around their island home to scout for talent. The quest extended across the globe, involving candidates from Dubai, Melbourne, Jakarta, London, and New York City. After meticulously narrowing down the pool, they organized off-book auditions at a local Bali rehearsal space. The day after auditions were completed, GUNG HARLEY was announced as SCK's new guitarist, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the band.
Harley expressed his joy at joining SCK, saying, "I'm thrilled to chase my dream of playing original songs around the world with this incredible band."
"In 40 years of doing this, I've never seen a guy come in and own an audition like Gung did," Ogden recalls. "I've been on a million auditions. It's frickin' brutal. It's never fun to audition. But, this kid comes in… and I knew Gung… I've seen him play a bunch of times, it's not like we were strangers. But on that day, I don't know… he just came in and absolutely blew us all away. He showed up like he was already in the band. When he walked out, he definitely was."
With the new lineup complete, SCK is staring down the barrel of a new record, a spectacular summer residency, and an aggressive new touring agenda. With a full slate of dates that will carry them through the middle of 2025, Ogden says they are totally focused on the future.
"The great thing about us now is that every one of us has reinvented ourselves many times over. This is old hat for each one of us. And it's all been worth it. We are stronger, better, tighter as a family. All of it. I listen to what we are doing now on this album and it's pretty clear this was the right move for us. We can't wait to get out there and share it with everyone."
SCK kicks off a string of appearances Saturday, July 20, as they headline at their beloved Bali home venue, The Orchard, for the venue's 10-year anniversary show.