Closeups - Ryotjones

Kendall Jenner could solve protests by handing over a can of Pepsi, but this is one riot we definitely don’t want to stop. Judging from the stuff Ryotjones comes up with, we reckon you’d be breaking it down even in the middle of a protest to the beat of their funk. We sat down to keep up with the Joneses and discover a little more about what makes them tick.

How did you guys meet and was it love at first sight?

Izzy: I don’t believe in love. What is love?

Aaron: It all started out with a Facebook status that Kyren put up. He and Deo had known each other for a while, and they came up with a Facebook post advertising that they were looking for serious musicians. They started getting feedback, and eventually gradually brought in the other members.

Kyren: We started writing our own stuff even during the first jam session. We had a clear direction about where we wanted to go and what route we wanted to take with this. The band chemistry is pretty legit, we’ve got a serious bromance going on. Everyone loves each other. I text these boys more than I text my mom. Sorry, mom. (shrugs)

How did the name Ryötjones come about?
Kyren: I was playing Urbanscapes in 2012 and I told myself, ‘go onstage and be someone else, you can either kill it or die trying.’ I had a stellar performance and nailed it, so I wanted to name that character. Beyonce goes by the moniker Sasha Fierce, so I decided that my alter ego was going to be called Ryötjones. It just popped up in my head. When it was time to name the band, it was a hell of a few days of just constant brainstorming. Some of the names that I came up with were Siamese Tribes, Prime Minister And His Wife, Acid Strike, The Polka Dots, Quatro Funk, Full Stops… all these bad names. I suggested my ‘alter ego’, Ryötjones, and the boys were like ‘Yeah, let’s roll with it.’

Aaron: Who we are onstage — that whole confident, cocky demeanor — it’s all just for show. We’re really nice boys offstage.

What is the craziest/most ridiculous thing an ex girlfriend/fling has done to you?
Aaron: This isn’t an ex, instead it’s a stalker who lives in the same condominium building as me. Whenever she looks at my girlfriend she gives her a death stare, like ‘eh, I’m gonna murder you’. She’s a little bit cuckoo, to say the least.

Izzy: I don’t have anything crazy actually. I’ve had sane girlfriends.

Kyren: One of my exes. I was dating this other girl at that time, and my ex insisted on meeting me. I obliged, and guess what? She tried to hit on me again. I was taken aback, and I went like ‘Dude I thought you only wanted to talk… why are you doing this again?’ She was like ‘Oh no, I just wanted to talk.’ But this chick is all talk AND action. She kept touching me and I felt she went overboard. I was like ‘See you, ciao.’ To my dismay, she hit me with ‘I have no money to go back’. I put RM10 on the seat and was like, ‘Go’. I ran away. Dodged a bullet right there.

Deo: I don’t know man, half the population are my exes. Gotta resort to that to get into Malaysia. (laughs) I don’t really have any. (Note – Dio is Indonesian)

What’s a trend that you guys hate the most?
Aaron: That dabbing thing la…

Kyren: I cannot tahan (stand) hypebeasts. If the culture you actively search for is something you like then go ahead. I just hate passivity, if everything you listen to is what’s trending at that period of time. One way to tell is if you look at your taste and notice that what you listen to varies from year to year, then you clearly have no culture. You’re just following whatever the mainstream media puts out. When people ask them why they like the music or the artist, the only thing they can say is “I don’t know man, it’s dope. Kanye transcends everything else.” Kanye is a good producer but f*ck that, that’s all he is.

Izzy: Especially when the trend happens to be something I’m passionate about, and something that I’ve liked for a long time. It gets on my nerves. People just drop it for the next hot thing.

Aaron: I like how Bruno Mars debuted the whole mainstream thing first and then moved into his own style. He basically told everyone, ‘Hey, this is what I’m all about. I’m into that Michael Jackson funk scene.’ But to get there, unfortunately, he had to sell out.

Kyren: As long as you’re creating things with an artistic purpose and not just d*ckriding hype. I think Chris Brown is sick. Childish Gambino. Tyler the Creator broke the norm. They’re crazy. Pharell is a genius, he’s been himself and always is gonna be.

Deo: I hate memes. (what???) How can people express themselves through memes?

Izzy: I hate fidget spinners. Fidget spinners on their own are okay, but I despise the trend of people abusing it and buying it just because ‘it’s cool’.

Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un and Putin. Kill, fuck, marry, and why?
Kyren: I’d kill Trump, fuck Kim Jong Un, and marry Putin. Cause Fuck Donald Trump, for starters. I’d fuck Kim Jong Un because that dude is a freaking god in his country. You’re legendary if you have sex with a god. Putin is a boss, a badass. Did you know he punched a bear? He’s a man’s man. I’d wanna marry a guy like that.

Describe your life using a song title.
Izzy: Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz.
Aaron: Rock With You by Michael Jackson. I’m a huge MJ fan. It makes me feel great.
Kyren: Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai.
Deo: I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.

If you were stranded on an island who would you choose to be stranded with?
Izzy: I’m just gonna say Bear Grylls because I know he’s got my back. He can go fishing and everything. We’re not gonna die unless we eat each other.

Aaron: I’m not just saying this because my girlfriend is here but yeah, I would wanna be stranded with my girlfriend. (Awww) We do everything together.

Izzy: You can start your own civilization there, Aaron.

Kyren: I think I’d bring my girlfriend as well. She’s a smart girl. She’s a dentist. She can spear shit out and check your teeth at the same time.

Deo: My soldier grandfather. He survived in the jungle for 5 days in Sulawesi while being chased by the Dutch and Japanese troops during the World War II. He ate raw animals and everything. I’m sure he’d help me survive.

 If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?
Izzy: It would definitely have to be my mum’s rendang. It’s my childhood dish. With ketupat. That would probably be my last food request.

Aaron: Most probably some Portugese dishes prepared by my grandfather. He’s old right now so he doesn’t cook as much as he used to or as much as I would love him to, hence why I would love to have that as my last meal. I miss his food. I don’t have a specific dish in particular, I love anything he whips up.

Kyren: Mungo Jerry Bak Kut Teh. With pork curry. Hands down.

Deo: Soto banjar My all-time favorite Indonesian dish aaaand also my house wifi password. That’s how much I love it.

What’s your go-to drink?
Kyren: Jack Daniel’s with coke.
Aaron: Captain Morg’s with coke.
Izzy: TIGER RADLER!
Cam: Are you trying to get sponsored or some shit?
Izzy: They are our sponsors.
Kyren: Tiger Beer. Number one.
Deo: Tiger is delicious.
Kyren: I said Tiger. Sounds a lot like Captain Morgan’s, but it’s Tiger.
Izzy: Did you know that the Tiger population is also dying? Come through tomorrow for their event at Publika. (laughs)