Shorthand Phonetics is an indie rock and film score outfit from Bandung, Indonesia which, as of 2013, only comprises Ababil Ashari (vocals, guitars, bass and programming).
The outfit was established on 13 April 2004,[1] although conflicting reports claims that the band has been releasing material since 2003.
[2] Shorthand Phonetics used to be a five-piece full band comprising Ababil Ashari, Alfonsus Tanoto (bass), Daniel Sastro (guitar), Kevin Yapsir (guitar) and Alvin Lasmana (drums).
After the release of this album however, the rest of the band members left to pursue academic degrees outside Indonesia, more specifically America and Singapore.
The Shorthand Phonetics recorded sound is a mix of staccato guitars, melodic strumming, frenetic drumming, and basic bass lines with loose vocals, that talk about mundane annoyances of life, produced in a lo-fi manner using webcam microphones and a laptop.