The Indonesian dance music scene is currently thriving. With the release of Dentum Dansa Bawah Tanah, a compilation hailed as a milestone in local underground dance music, and disco legend Fariz RM performing for the first time in years this month, dance music in Indonesia is undergoing a renaissance.A leader in this rebirth of dance music is Wahono, a Jakarta-born producer who came up in New York's electronic music scene and recently released his debut EP, Abandoned Hi-Hats, on Brooklyn's Maddjazz Recordings.On the surface, Abandoned Hi-Hats is a challenging record. Consisting of fluid sounds like manipulated guitar pedals, youtube clips, random phone calls, and spontaneous keyboard licks, this album clearly blurs the boundaries of music genres on tracks like "Necksnaps."Last week, VICE Indonesia spoke with Wahono and music post-Abandoned Hi-Hats, his brand Divisi62 and the current state of electronic music.VICE: How did you get Maddjazz to release Abandoned Hi-Hats?
Wahono: Mike Bloom, the owner of Maddjazz, was a friend in New York. When I arrived in New York, I didn't know anyone so I was looking for friends. We met through Soundcloud and it just grew from there. It just so happened that we both had a mutual interest in jazz music. When I was about to graduate university, I still didn't know which direction to take with my music. He was the one who helped provide guidance.When I was leaving New York for Jakarta due to visa issues, Mike promised me, "Bro, before you leave I'm going to release your music on vinyl." I was ecstatic since who the hell knew me in New York anyway? I did work at a record store once but there are thousands of people in New York trying to do the same thing. Not long after that, I started mixing and mastering music again. I was very fortunate that the EP finally came out.What sort of response did you get for Abandoned Hi-Hats?
Back in United States, the response was amazing. Everyone was like 'Who is this guy?' Nobody had even heard of me. I'm not American, i'm Indonesian, not many people know about Indonesia over there.Why did you incorporate strong Indonesian element in your music?
It's a subconscious thing. In everything I do there's an Eastern element to it since that's part of my identity. And by Eastern, I don't only mean Indonesia. Indonesian music has been influenced by music from India, the Middle East and even China. Eastern is a big world on its own.How big does Eastern music influence you?
I'm pretty late on this and just started realizing this after studying abroad, I thought 'Damn, how can I make something unique?' No matter what kind of song I write, others can probably make something better. That's why i started listening to more Javanese gamelan music, Sundanese gamelan, Bataknese, and other Sumatran music. It turns out Indonesia has such a wide range of sound and I know very little about.
To be honest, DIVISI 62 and Maddjazz share a similar concept. All the people behind it love all kinds of music, we absorb everything. DIVISI 62 is not just a music label. To me, DIVISI is a brand housing ideas as well as a lens to see Indonesia through a lot of different things. We need to have a in-depth narrative since what we put out is not only the result of the music we listen to. It's an outcome of our experience living in Jakarta, books we read, movies we watch. We can't just play music, because anyone can do that.Who's on DIVISI 62 now?
Actually it's just us as creators under a different name. We have RMP who focuses on African rhythms and has elements of house music, disco and funk. Then there's Uwalmassa who's strictly focused on Indonesian traditional music. Finally, we have Marsesura—RMP and myself—who explores samples while taking inspiration from all music we like.Why didn't you release your first EP through DIVISI 62?
The songs were written a long time ago. They were promised to Mike Bloom and the visual concept was a bit different. [Abandoned Hi-Hats] was written to be performed with a DJ and has a lot of club music elements. With Divisi we focus more on telling stories with narratives.What are some of the fundamental issues that currently surround the Indonesian electronic music scene?
Basically, local scenesters are not motivated and too lazy to find out about anything beyond the scene they're in. Most people's taste are dragged by hype—I need to like what other people like, I need to know what they know. It's this kind of mentality that messes up with people's perception. It's like that in Jakarta and Indonesia. People with few references declare themselves as producers. I've never called myself a producer since I know how much knowledge it requires.Is that the problem with big dance music events such as DWP (Djakarta Warehouse Project)? Every year they boast predictable line-ups
That's an issue of commercialization. In my opinion, the promotor plays it safe since he approaches the event as a business and looks for something that guarantees his money back. Just put on shallow music, something that people will latch onto quickly and leave just as quickly, nothing meaningful. It's exactly the same problem we have with Java Jazz. As a result, there's a public misconception around Jazz.In your opinion, is it possible for electronic music to be enjoyed by people of different classes in the future?
Electronic music always ran alongside resistance music. The approach used was very academic—employing synths and mathematics. The development of synthesizer ended up molding electronic music into what we know now. If the question is whether electronic music is class-free or not, then the answer is absolutely.Electronic music started off being played by academics only. Then in the 70s, musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea who played traditional and fusion jazz started incorporating those music instruments into the pop context. In the 80's, these instruments were used in producing pop and hip-hop music. The 90's saw the emergence of digital technology and computers. At the turn of millennium, the concept of electronic music widened up and gave birth to genres such as Swedish electro and techno.Is it possible that electronic music will be consumed by the working class of society?
It's possible. Dangdut Pantura music, which thrives in lower class of society, can be called electronic music since it incorporates cheap keyboards and technology.
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Wahono: Mike Bloom, the owner of Maddjazz, was a friend in New York. When I arrived in New York, I didn't know anyone so I was looking for friends. We met through Soundcloud and it just grew from there. It just so happened that we both had a mutual interest in jazz music. When I was about to graduate university, I still didn't know which direction to take with my music. He was the one who helped provide guidance.When I was leaving New York for Jakarta due to visa issues, Mike promised me, "Bro, before you leave I'm going to release your music on vinyl." I was ecstatic since who the hell knew me in New York anyway? I did work at a record store once but there are thousands of people in New York trying to do the same thing. Not long after that, I started mixing and mastering music again. I was very fortunate that the EP finally came out.What sort of response did you get for Abandoned Hi-Hats?
Back in United States, the response was amazing. Everyone was like 'Who is this guy?' Nobody had even heard of me. I'm not American, i'm Indonesian, not many people know about Indonesia over there.
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It's a subconscious thing. In everything I do there's an Eastern element to it since that's part of my identity. And by Eastern, I don't only mean Indonesia. Indonesian music has been influenced by music from India, the Middle East and even China. Eastern is a big world on its own.How big does Eastern music influence you?
I'm pretty late on this and just started realizing this after studying abroad, I thought 'Damn, how can I make something unique?' No matter what kind of song I write, others can probably make something better. That's why i started listening to more Javanese gamelan music, Sundanese gamelan, Bataknese, and other Sumatran music. It turns out Indonesia has such a wide range of sound and I know very little about.
Tell us about your label DIVISI 62.
To be honest, DIVISI 62 and Maddjazz share a similar concept. All the people behind it love all kinds of music, we absorb everything. DIVISI 62 is not just a music label. To me, DIVISI is a brand housing ideas as well as a lens to see Indonesia through a lot of different things. We need to have a in-depth narrative since what we put out is not only the result of the music we listen to. It's an outcome of our experience living in Jakarta, books we read, movies we watch. We can't just play music, because anyone can do that.Who's on DIVISI 62 now?
Actually it's just us as creators under a different name. We have RMP who focuses on African rhythms and has elements of house music, disco and funk. Then there's Uwalmassa who's strictly focused on Indonesian traditional music. Finally, we have Marsesura—RMP and myself—who explores samples while taking inspiration from all music we like.
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The songs were written a long time ago. They were promised to Mike Bloom and the visual concept was a bit different. [Abandoned Hi-Hats] was written to be performed with a DJ and has a lot of club music elements. With Divisi we focus more on telling stories with narratives.What are some of the fundamental issues that currently surround the Indonesian electronic music scene?
Basically, local scenesters are not motivated and too lazy to find out about anything beyond the scene they're in. Most people's taste are dragged by hype—I need to like what other people like, I need to know what they know. It's this kind of mentality that messes up with people's perception. It's like that in Jakarta and Indonesia. People with few references declare themselves as producers. I've never called myself a producer since I know how much knowledge it requires.Is that the problem with big dance music events such as DWP (Djakarta Warehouse Project)? Every year they boast predictable line-ups
That's an issue of commercialization. In my opinion, the promotor plays it safe since he approaches the event as a business and looks for something that guarantees his money back. Just put on shallow music, something that people will latch onto quickly and leave just as quickly, nothing meaningful. It's exactly the same problem we have with Java Jazz. As a result, there's a public misconception around Jazz.In your opinion, is it possible for electronic music to be enjoyed by people of different classes in the future?
Electronic music always ran alongside resistance music. The approach used was very academic—employing synths and mathematics. The development of synthesizer ended up molding electronic music into what we know now. If the question is whether electronic music is class-free or not, then the answer is absolutely.Electronic music started off being played by academics only. Then in the 70s, musicians such as Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea who played traditional and fusion jazz started incorporating those music instruments into the pop context. In the 80's, these instruments were used in producing pop and hip-hop music. The 90's saw the emergence of digital technology and computers. At the turn of millennium, the concept of electronic music widened up and gave birth to genres such as Swedish electro and techno.Is it possible that electronic music will be consumed by the working class of society?
It's possible. Dangdut Pantura music, which thrives in lower class of society, can be called electronic music since it incorporates cheap keyboards and technology.