Rekah Proves That Bullying affects its victim badly through new single
If everyone does it, then it’s not bullying, maybe there is something wrong with the victim. That’s what Indonesian society often think about bullying. Unfortunately, this toxic mentality is as dangerous as tuberculosis as bullying could happen to anyone including a member of Rekah, a post-hardcore band hailing from Jakarta. Faiz, the vocalist of Rekah conveyed a powerful message on their new single called “…and you’re still thinking there’s no such thing as “Gulag”?”. As a victim of bullying, he shared his story about how bullying affects his life and how his life is shaped afterward. As the statistics show a whopping 40% of suicide and depression stem from bullying as stated by KPAI (Indonesian Children Protection Commission), it is saddening to know that this culture is still perpetuated by the education system in the country. Released through a newly established label, Hantu Records & Publishing, this single by Rekah is conveyed through two platforms, a music video and a zine.
Directed by Rekah’s own drummer, Johan Junior, you would be able to see how bullying could stay inside the victim’s minds and souls for a long time. What appears to be healthy and strong on the outside, doesn’t always contribute to one’s feeling and thought on the inside. Oftentimes, the victims of bullying receive a traumatic experience that would later affect how they interact with society. Representing only a tiny fraction of bullying culture, Rekah hopes to open up new spaces and spark dialogues about bullying and those who are involved, whether as a bully or a victim and hopefully, put an end to the trivialization of the matter. Their new music video for“…and you’re still thinking there’s no such thing as “Gulag”?” can be watched through Rekah’s official Youtube channel and the zine can be ordered through Hantu Recs’ Instagram account here. At the end of the zine, you could find a barcode where you can download the single from Bandcamp.
