Jakarta, February 2025 – If you think emo music is all about sad songs, Bob
Atea brings a quirky twist: imagine an RPG full of strange side quests, with their
compositions weaving through sadness hidden beneath playful lyrics.
Through their debut EP BobAtea.mp3, this Jakarta-based band presents five
tracks infused with emotion, humor, and a sci-fi spirit representative of the
“toward IKN generation,” dubbing their genre Post-IKN-core—a playful take on
modern-day cynicism.
Each track in the EP tells a story about the anxieties of modern life (or a future
not far off), from tales of love between humans and aliens, humans living
inside vending machines, apocalyptic scenarios, to lyrics written in a
constructed language they created themselves.
Who is Bob Atea?
Bob Atea began in 2019 as an escape project for Sabda Armandio (a novelist)
and PS Jati (drummer for skramz band Amukredam). What started as a
lighthearted break from work became a more serious endeavor when Bagus
Satria (bass) and Ferio Johan (guitar/vocals) joined in 2023.
They coined the term Post-IKN-core for their sound, a self-invented subgenre
born from their cynical take on Indonesia’s new capital city development. Their
music is a soundtrack for a generation that spends its nights gaming and
rewriting the endings of worlds they don’t agree with.
“Our music is like a buffet,” they say. “There’s emo, there’s VGM, there’s the
feeling of an anime opening, and all the elements that shaped us growing up.
There’s no formula—we just mix whatever feels fun and cohesive to play.”
More than just a band, Bob Atea is a coping mechanism. Their identity is
shaped by graphic design, a love for kaiju, mecha, and inside jokes. Even the
band’s name comes from a fictional spiritual leader they created—Robert
“Bob” Atea.
About BobAtea.mp3: A Soundtrack for a Resetting World
BobAtea.mp3 is more than just an EP; it’s a sonic journey capturing the
collective emotions of its members. With melodies reminiscent of a game’s
save point and poetic lyrics wrapped in offbeat humor—like imagining humans
exploding like a sponge cake—this EP is both a personal and universal
experience.
“We’re not trying to impress anyone. Honestly, we don’t even know what we’re
doing. But maybe that’s what makes it fun,” they admit.
“To be honest, we just want to get on a poundfit playlist,” jokes PS Jati.
Release and Access
The debut EP BobAtea.mp3 will be available on various streaming platforms
starting February 14, 2025. To help listeners dive deeper into each track, Bob
Atea will also release a companion booklet—a narrative guide akin to a game
manual—published by Penerbit Velodrom.
