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Hoxton in the summer of 2008 is an unlikely location for a musical renaissance. This once achingly fashionable district adjacent to the City, London’s financial quarter, is somewhat subdued in the face of impending recession; even on a Saturday evening, most of the cluster of bars near Old Street are half-empty, with the isolated shrieks and smashing of glass only serving to emphasize this further. Many of the neighborhood’s newest arrivals, young professionals who are already completely dependent on alcohol and hard narcotics to get through an average day, will be among the first to leave as the United Kingdom’s credit-fueled economy runs further aground.
Yet if the career of one particular local denizen continues along its current trajectory, this corner of inner London could soon become synonymous with one of the best and most original musical talents to emerge from the U.K. since the 1980s.
Nutyas Surya Gumilang, who goes by the initials NSG, is something of a poster-boy for globalization. Born into a middle-class household in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Sept. 20, 1985 — his mother was a university lecturer, his father a mathematician and later an agriculturalist for the Indonesian government — NSG moved to London when he was 10 years old. His family settled in Hackney, a part of London that is notable for its large numbers of Vietnamese, Afro-Caribbean and Turkish immigrants, and which encompasses both Hoxton and nearby Dalston; the latter is where NSG is currently based.
In a postmodern twist, NSG first discovered that he had a talent for music through the compositions he produced playing “Music,” a cult music-creation suite available on the original Sony PlayStation. A degree in musical theory at Kingston University in the leafy outskirts of the capital’s southwestern suburbs followed, giving him the opportunity to get acquainted with professional production equipment.
The self-styled “accidental socialite” then launched himself onto the often-cruel London gigging circuit, playing clubs and bars for as little as 5 pounds per set. However, prestigious recent support slots with Grammy award-winning producer Mark Ronson and new soul icon Adele are indicative of his burgeoning reputation. NSG has had his work featured on MTV Europe, NuSound Radio’s Music and Movies Show, and the BBC’s 1Xtra digital radio station. His own YouTube channel is now garnering serious exposure — at the time of writing, it contains over 150 clips and is the 18th most-viewed musician page on YouTube U.K. — and collaboration with Arif, an Indonesian R&B singer who has sold a seven-figure number of records with his band Tofu, suggests rich potential for NSG’s projects in Asia.
However, the jewel in NSG’s crown — and the one factor above all that is indicative of a glittering future — is the sheer quality of his debut album, Working Class Superstar. Released on July 24 and available from iTunes, Working Class Superstar is a beautifully produced multi-genre album that effortlessly skips from hip-hop to acoustic rock to dance music; moreover, not a single one of its 10 tracks could be categorized as filler material, and several of the songs are outstanding. The video-game inspired riff on the title track is quite unique in its execution; “I’m Yours” neatly captures the euphoria of realized love; “Hold Me Closer” is an epic, anthemic ode to idealized affection, while “Katie,” a stark number of breakdown and betrayal, deals with the obverse of the same phenomenon. “You are so Buff,” arguably the best song on the entire album, melds elements of Bollywood strings, The Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and synthesized beats and melodies so effectively that it is easy to imagine a version of it being on every wedding playlist from Barnet to Bangalore.
Despite his punishing schedule of writing, recording, gigging, remixing, producing and building up his new corporate entity, NSG Music Group, NSG — MacBook in hand, and wearing a smile slightly reminiscent of global football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic — found time to meet up with OhmyNews in Hoxton Square to talk about, among other things, his new album, growing up in the era of the former dictator of Indonesia, General Suharto, globalization and, all too briefly, romance.
OhmyNews: What inspired you to go into music?
NSG: Well, it’s not just music, really. I think it’s performance. What inspired me? It’s simple: my life. I think that there’s so much drama in my life that I can’t help myself but to express myself. That’s how I grew up: I thought that music was the best platform, because it’s universal, it’s sound; you can close your eyes and hear it. Image and the performance comes afterwards, but I think that’s pretty much it.
Previously, I always wanted to express myself by any way and by any means possible … because I was quite loud.
You’re originally from Jakarta, Indonesia. You were there for the first ten years of your life. What was it like growing up there?
It was great. I grew up in a middle-class family with very ambitious parents; it was a very ambitious, very hard-working family, and education was very important for my family. But that was the downfall of my family: the break-up of my parents’ marriage. Because everyone was very ambitious, my mum and my dad.
But it was great growing up in Indonesia, because I know what it feels like to grow up in a fascist education system [laughs]. And fascist education is fun [laughs]. It’s strict, but when you’re in a strict environment, there’s a sense of trying to break free more, so I think the rebellious side of me started to come out as a young person, because I was a naughty kid, a very naughty kid.
But I did all right at my studies, and luckily enough, I think my mum supervised my primary school. I knew that my mum had something to do with the running of the school, because she worked in the education system. I didn’t know exactly what was going on, but I knew that my mum was involved, because my teachers always used to come down to my house and talk to my mum, so I knew that I could manipulate people, especially my teachers, and get away with things. Like pushing girls, walking on tables. And in Indonesian schools, where they hit you and stuff, I was invincible [laughs].
So growing up there was fantastic, it was great. And I had very loving parents; they were good parents.
What do your parents do?
My dad works for the Indonesian government, something to do with agriculture, and my mum was a university lecturer for the open university in Indonesia. My dad used to be a mathematician, but now he works for the government, because agriculture is a big thing in Indonesia.
What was life like under Suharto?
Gosh. I was young, so … all I can remember is that everything was in order. It’s funny living in a dictatorship. People always say that you can’t express yourself … well, you kind of can, as long as you don’t piss off certain people. It’s kind of weird, really. I suppose we were [among] the fortunate ones, at that time. But then, I suppose it’s different for those people who can’t express themselves.
Gosh, that might sound wrong, as if I’m pro-dictatorship. I was young, OK, I was young at that time. I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t even know what a dictatorship meant. All I can remember is that I grew up in a safe neighborhood, and it was kind of cool. But I didn’t know anything. I was too young to feel any oppression, or anything.
Now, you live in Hackney. It’s a much-maligned area in some ways: people tend to associate it with violence.
That’s rubbish, nonsense. Most of Hackney is actually white and middle-class. We’re in Hoxton right now, in the middle of a park, surrounded by white middle-class people [laughs].
Of course there’s violence, in certain parts, there is some truth [to the popular perception]. But there’s also a lot of good things in Hackney. Loads of good things, great and amazing things.
Hackney is a very mixed area. You’ve got lots of Vietnamese, Turks, English people, blacks. Do you find that a source of inspiration?
Definitely, yes. It feels like … I don’t need to explore the world. I can explore it in Hackney. I don’t need to travel. There’s a Turkish shop, there’s a black barber’s, Afro-Caribbean food [points]. So it’s sort of like a miniaturized world, I suppose.
When you came to Hackney initially, when you first came to England, did you feel any sort of culture clash? Did you find it difficult as an Indonesian, because there aren’t that many Indonesians in England, as opposed to, say, Holland?
No, not really. I mean, I was young. I don’t really remember things from when I was young. It’s very … blurry, my youth. All I know is that suddenly I can speak English. I don’t even remember learning English. Suddenly, one day I could just speak English. I came to England only able to say “yes” or “no,” and then suddenly a year later I was speaking English.
It was different from Indonesia. School was so much easier here, schoolwork was so much easier. There’s a lot of freedom in the school; then again, I took advantage of that to manipulate my teachers [laughs].
Working Class Superstar is your first release. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Yeah. Working Class Superstar is pretty much this character I’ve created [for myself]. I’ve got a lot of inspiration … a lot of my musical inspiration is from honest, working-class musicians like Tracy Chapman, John Lennon, The Beatles, pop artists who have come from modest backgrounds. It’s sort of like a caricature version, a tribute, to all those great working-class musicians. And also, it sounds like Jesus Christ Superstar, so I thought that there was something catchy about it [laughs].
It sounds like a brand that I’ve created. And that’s what I am now. When I moved to Britain, I was no longer middle class: I’m working class now. It’s state of mind; it’s a brand.
Let’s talk a little bit about the content of the album itself. There’s a whole bunch of styles on there. There’s dance, there’s electronica, there are ballads; you’re a very, very diverse artist. Can you see yourself continuing along that same eclectic vein, or can you see yourself becoming more specialized?
You know, I want to do what I want to do with music. I don’t personally give a shit whether or not someone encouraged me to stick to one genre, because at the end of the day, the difference between me and other musical artists is that I do it how I want it done. When it comes to the music of a client — because I’m a music producer as well, and I collaborate with people — then it’s a different story, but when it comes to me, I want to do what I want. And whether people find it uncomfortable [having] lots of different genres, then f**k you. This is what I want to do. If you like it, great. If you don’t like it, then that’s fine, it’s cool. It’s not my problem, man. I’m not here to please you; well, I am here to please you if you like me, but if you don’t like me, then it’s all right, it’s cool, whatever. It’s only music at the end of the day, you know what I mean?
No, it’s more than music, it’s my life … but hey, that’s one of the themes that comes up, the theme of contradicting myself, I contradict myself a lot and … I think that insecurities are like a form of inspiration, anyway. Because you are always questioning things.
One of your songs, “Valentine’s Day,” is a remarkably romantic song. Are you a romantic person?
Of course I am. Definitely, yes, definitely, yes. Yes. I can charm anyone [laughs]! I am a very romantic person. I’m not fortunate in this regard, but when I get it right…
I grew up with women who complain all the time. And unlike most males, I’m comfortable talking about certain things that are personal. So I’m very open and I’m very comfortable with myself. I’m comfortable with who I am, and talking about anything really.
What do you look for in a woman?
Ambitious women. I like intelligent women. Looks — obviously, looks are important, but I like a woman who … I’m not a chivalry type of person, to an extent. I’m not a knight in shining armor. What I look for in a woman is someone who’s independent, something who wants something out of life, someone who wants to better themselves.
And someone who’s open-minded. They can have a different perspective to what I do, but someone with whom you can have a good discussion. And obviously, any race will do. But I would never know who I would fall in love with. I don’t have the attitude that I only date black girls, white girls, Indonesian girls.
Someone who is generally independent, open-minded and ambitious, like I am. So we can help each other.
In an early video for “You Are So Buff,” your mum makes a cameo appearance. Is family life important to you?
Very important. It’s the fundamental of who I am. I love my family; I’m doing this for my family. Before anything else is my family: my mum and my sisters. They’re everything to me. They’re the one who encouraged my music, who shaped me to have this perspective. They are important, and I owe my life to them.
When it comes to the family, I’m very, very traditional. I would never leave them. I’m quite privileged to have my family, because I’ve been encouraged to be open-minded, encouraged to roam free. As a young person, they let me bleed, they let me heal by myself, they look out for me, but they give me freedom. I can do whatever I what.
There are a lot of Asian families who are quite strict and very authoritarian. My mum was very liberal. She doesn’t tell me what to listen to. We can discuss anything we want. Without my family’s upbringing, I wouldn’t be the person who I am today.
On the one hand, London is a very diverse place. You have people here from every corner of the world, and they seem to get along. But on the other hand, the last few years have witnessed a big increase in the use of racist language, the British National Party [BNP] are getting more votes than ever before, as can be seen from the results of this year’s London mayoral elections. Is it more difficult to work here than in the past?
No, not really. I don’t mix with my own people; I mix with everyone, so … I don’t know. Obviously, I can see … sometimes what upsets me with people in general, regardless of what race they are, I think people just want to stick with their own, whoever they are comfortable with. And that includes white, black, Chinese, Asian, Indonesian, Arabs. And that’s what I’m not about. I’m all about integration, I’m all about negotiation, I’m all about conversation.
I don’t fear these BNP. Let them have their say, let them say what they want to say. And do you know what? If they really want to say racist things about me or my race, I will sit down and listen to them with open ears. Because the more others say that ‘you can’t say that, it’s racist’, or ‘you can’t say that, it’s fascist’, the more publicity the BNP are going to get.
It’s not going to work that way. The world doesn’t work that way. So let them say what they say. And listen to them. Talk back to them, have a dialogue. That’s the problem with certain people: they are quick to make assumptions.
I’m not saying that the BNP are right; they’re not right, that’s obvious. But sometimes, you have to see the bigger picture. You sometimes have to swallow your pride, and listen, and realize the facts of what people are saying regardless of what their opinion is.
I’m all for conversation, that’s all I’ve got to say. So let them say what they’ve got to say.
In America now, we’re moving towards the end of the George W. Bush era. Either Barack Obama or John McCain is going to be elected President of the United States at the end of this year. What would you say to them, as a citizen of the world? What would you want from either of them?
My God, that’s a difficult question. The problem with me is that I’m quite ignorant, but I’m ignorant enough to be open-minded, but I’m open-minded enough to be ignorant! That might confuse people, but it’s true.
That said, I don’t particularly like having an opinion that’s straightforward. I never like to have a conclusive opinion, to be honest with you.
Obviously, I want the war [in Iraq] to end. I don’t like wars. Because everyone knows what it’s all about: we’re not stupid. If they [the Bush administration] had just said what it was about in the first place, then maybe they would have a little bit of dignity. It’s blatant what their intentions are.
But other than that, I can’t think of an opinion, because the world is so massive. I’m just an individual. I’d rather have opinions of things that are at a grassroots level, rather than a macro level.
But I would rather that Barack Obama won.
Why is that?
It would be cool for a black guy to be president. Or Hillary. Even Pakistan had a woman president! Pakistan! India, Indonesia [as well]. Whereas in America, they haven’t had one. It’s something different. It’s time for change. Yes we can [laughs]! And [Obama] is cool, as well. He’s pretty cool.
Do you think there is a clash of civilizations in the world today? And not just between the West and Islam, but between the West and China, North and South?
There is. I go back to Indonesia, I compare it with Britain and I see a lot of differences. And it hurts to see certain things. We live in a really weird place, a weird world, where someone can just walk down to a street market, see a handbag that costs seventy-five pence, and then go across a bridge, over a highway and into a mall, and there’s a Prada bag for fifteen hundred dollars.
But that’s normal, in Indonesia. You think of [clothing retailer] Gap … we go to Primark, and we buy clothes, whilst on the other side of the world, that shirt you just bought, there’s a guy who makes fifty of those in a day, and he only got paid a small amount. It’s unfair trade, but not according to the global marketing lingo.
But deep down, it’s colonialism in a different form. It hasn’t changed from the last hundreds of years when we were colonized by the Dutch. You see it hasn’t changed, because now we’ve got globalization! But hey, it’s OK … it’s OK, you have to accept it, because if you don’t…
And I’m conscious about that [exploitation]. I’m conscious about that, but I’m not angered by it, but I don’t know what I can do. Hopefully, I can do something about it. I don’t know what exactly, but it runs through my mind. It’s pretty much the essence of Working Class Superstar: I’m representing my people, British people, Indonesian people, working people. Because I am a working-class person now, ever since I moved to Britain. My parents had to work, my mum had to work, my sister had to work, most of my friends are working class, and it’s a transition.
I still don’t know whether it conveys in my music or not, this essence of power struggle. But it’s always on my mind. It’s pretty much the core of who I am. But it’s still unclear how I’m going to convey it. I just hope I’m conveying it right.
I don’t know. I tend to ramble a lot! Everything is very abstract and insecure. Like this world! This world is an abstract place.
Indonesia is a very fast-changing country. It’s a First World country and a Third World country all in one, and it’s transforming very rapidly, with great inequality resulting. Do you think that’s a dangerous situation? How do you see the future of the country?
Oh no! It upsets me when I talk about this, because I really genuinely don’t know. I don’t know because it has no infrastructure, it has no roots. This is what happened with colonialism: it destroys a country’s or a civilization’s or a society’s roots.
It’s so difficult because I see a lot of Indonesian people trying to find their roots in Western things. That’s why I sometimes envy countries like India and China. They’ve got strong historical roots, and they’re proud to listen to Indian music or Chinese music or whatever, whereas us Indonesians, we’re not really. A lot of the time, a lot of the people that I meet who are wealthy, are not proud of our heritage. Which is sad.
I feel guilty as well that I’m not there [in Indonesia], and that I have to be here. I feel privileged to be here. And I’m proud to be Indonesian and I love being Indonesian. Because being Indonesian, it’s all about the rebellious side of us, which is getting tamed by capitalism.
Don’t get me wrong, I love capitalism. I love the entrepreneurial spirit. But there isn’t a lot of entrepreneurial spirit in Indonesia. It’s not really an open, free market there. Those who have the money rule, really; the seed just generally doesn’t grow.
I hope that by me being here and doing my music career, I can make them proud. Because I’m proud to be Indonesian; I’m proud to be dark-skinned; I’m proud to be loud. I’m proud to be a child of the world.
©2008 OhmyNews
