[4] First playing rock and blues, they later switched to acoustic and made a protest album inspired by Bob Dylan.
[2][3][4] Upon his return, Roesli began work on an avant-garde project mixing the sounds of Iannis Xenakis, John Cage, and Karlheinz Stockhausen with poetry by Yudhistira Ardi Noegraha.
[3] On 17 August 2001, Roesli performed a satirized version of the patriotic song "Garuda Pancasila", changing the lyrics to say that he was tired of the lack of reform in the period following the fall of Suharto.
[6] The performance, held during independence day celebrations in front of the home of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, led to him being questioned by police; the police considered charging him with expressing hatred and hostility toward the Indonesian government, a crime under Article 154 of the Criminal Code.
[1] The event, titled "Teroris, Pentas Musik 50 Jam" ("Terrorist, 50-hour Music Performance") and held at Rumah Nusantara cafe and gallery in northern Bandung, featured hundreds of singers ranging from the well known to street artists.
[2] The tour, called Ziarah Seni (Pilgrimage of Art), was meant to disprove that Roesli's music was exclusive.
[8] On 3 October 2004, Roesli was admitted to Harapan Kita Hospital in Jakarta after suffering a heart attack.
[1] His former teacher Remi Sylado, in an obituary in Tempo, wrote that at times he seemed unkempt, and after returning from the Netherlands was like "a river in the rainy season", full of unbridled creativity.