During the economic crisis in Indonesia, Swerte’s family was going through a rough patch and was black-listed from entering the country he was born and grew up in because he held a swiss passport (from his father’s side). His music is written from the point of view of an Indonesian for the Indonesians there. His dream is that he’ll be able to return home as a performing artist one day.
Swerte? What's the story behind the name?Swerte was what my filipino friends in Middle School called me. My real name is spelled Lucky but the "u" is pronounced like the "u" in "Susie". But cuz my name is spelt like that, my friends decided to call me 'suerte', which means lucky in tagalog (and a whole bunch of other latin languages as well). I didn’t know how to spell it properly and have always written it with a "w" and it’s just stuck with me.
What were doing immediately before you started answering these questions?Reading Infusion Mag, WHAT ELSE???.. hehe.. Actually, I was working on a mix for work.
What are your first musical memories?I always think of my brother when it comes to what got me into music. From a very young age my bro was always schooling me about music. He was part of his school’s marching band and seeing his love and passion for it was so inspiring. The kind of band he was in wasn't your normal march down the street band, but the kind that did really intricate lines and movements around the sports field. So not only did he play the tuba and bass drum but he also had to run around and make sure he didn’t run into anyone else. Watching him perform with the hundreds of other people in the band in front of thousands of people on a giant field was so amazing.
Who are your major influences? (Dead or alive)
The Truth of Immortal Technique, the Sharpness of Chino XL, the Presence of Mos Def, the Wittiness of Banksy, the Bass of Roni Size, the sounds of da K-Lashnekoff, the dynamics of Rordigo y Gabriela, the Words of Gelder Meijer, the Love from my family and the jungle that is Indonesia....
What music do you listen to in the car?I listen to a lot of things. I usually go and buy music that is either wierd or different and a lot of people find it hard sitting in my car sometimes while i'm blasting out something like Busdriver. At the moment i always find myself listening to either Madlib's Shade of Blue album or Binary Star's Masters of the Universe. Artists i cant travel without, Fat Freddy's Drop, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Talvin Singh and Funk Doobiest.
Are you predominantly a live performer or a stay-at-home remixer?I started off as a live performer. Back home in Jakarta, I use to get gigs easily. At the time i was in a rap crew called The SouthSiderz and we were the Hype Mcs for a local RnB singer who toured regularly, so we always opened for her and help hype up the crowd during her performances. Since i left, my on stage time has definitely become non existant and its been over 3 years now since i've done anything live. I did a live thing on the radio a few weeks ago and it definitely got me excited to do more. At the moment tho I've been too busy to practice and I'm also looking for a DJ to work with. I dont want my show to be me on the mic and i just play track after track off cd. I'd like to work with the DJ and get the crowd grooving. Wierd things is that the stuff I'm currently working on isnt exactly club banging so I'm still trying to figure things out...hmm...
After a track is produced, do you still listen to it?Man... right after a track is done I'm always excited about it and, i guess, since I'm a sound engineer as well, I'm always listening to it and ticking down things to change in my head. There are a few songs that really mean a lot to me and I play em every now and then and remember the experiences i was going through at the time i wrote the track.
Who would you most like to perform with?This is a really hard question. Off the top of my head, theres a group from Bandung, Indonesia called Homicide and I think to perform with them in Bandung would be such a cool thing to do. If Amy Winehouse was sober enough I'd try and rap along to her music too..if i was sober enough as well...
Who would you LEAST like to perform with?Britney Spears..or Aqua....??? again... too hard.
Most enjoyable gig until now? Where and when was it? What made it so amazing?The second time i performed with the Southsiderz. It was at this Rap competition, which was the only way rappers could perform back then in Indonesia. You did a song and the judges would decide on four groups to go into the finals. We made it thru and performed a cover to House of Pains, "Jump Around" and the whole place went mad as soon as the beat kicked in. I will never forget the sight of all those people jumping up and down and rapping along with hus as we went crazy on stage.
Quick Facts:Favourite local DJ / Musician? DJ Deccalite and Diligent Thought
Favourite pasta sauce? Carbonara
If you were a type of cheese, which one would you be? Gruyere.
Keep your ears well and truly peeled and pickled for this up and coming talent. Good luck, Lucky.
Source:
Infusionand there is a correction by Swerte himself
"I was NOT deported and blacklisted from Indonesia during the economic crisis due to my nationality... The real reason i was deported was because i was caught with drugs and after i did my jail sentence, i was deported and blacklisted. THAT is because i have a swiss passport like my father.. I have a feeling INFUSION mag left this out because it is a sensitive issue in Dubai...."
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