21 Tracks
for the 21st Century
A series of playlists organised in collaboration with Q-02. Each time, we invite one artist, thinker or musician to prepare a playlist of those sounds, songs and pieces of music that will best equip their listeners to approach what is left of this young century.
21 October 2024
Ikbal Lubys & Aii Wijaya
Aii and Ikbal have been working as a duo since 2007 on a cross-disciplinary, experimental sound and visual project. Ikbal studied Western classical guitar and music education, while Aii studied visual art, both at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. In 2008, they founded Ethnictro, a Yogyakarta-based creative space focused on sound, performance, and music education.
While developing their space and working as a duo, they have also continued pursuing their individual projects. Their collaborative work is often spontaneous and currently evolving to explore social issues, urbanism, history, and the environment. They express these themes through sound art, visuals, and three-dimensional installations in various formats, frequently collaborating with interdisciplinary artists from around the world.
Their past projects have taught them much about the diversity of life, different ways of thinking, and various cultures. Their main interest lies in the changes in people’s ways of life, particularly how modernism and capitalism have impacted tradition and culture.
1. Wukir Suryadi – Woven sound
Unexpected sounds produced from a thread and bamboo comb are woven into the framework of an exhibition featuring the sounds of ancient Indonesian artefacts used as musical material. Wukir Suryadi is an instrument builder and part of Duo Senyawa, which is highly regarded globally in the realm of experimental music.
2. John Jacob Niles – I wonder as I Wander
This 1950s folk singer has a unique singing style that flows organically and plays the guitar and other instruments, even if they don’t function as they should.
3. Potro Joyo – Aku Bukanbunuh Tunggul Ametung
An interesting composition in both musical and conceptual terms, this song serves as a manifesto for Potro Joyo, who questions the historical narrative of a kingdom in one of Indonesia’s cities that has been recorded in history and has become a legend. Potro Joyo offers a different perspective based on an archaeologist’s writings.
4. David Tudor – Rainforest
A highly representative evocation of the rainforest situation, with an artistic expression and non-cliché execution.
5. Björk feat Kasymin – Atopos
Aside from the very interesting music both musicians have created, there’s also a fascinating story behind their collaboration. Kasymin, a big fan of Björk’s, was invited to collaborate after Björk heard Kasymin’s work in a Bali-based electronic duo project called Gabber Modus Operandi.
6. Walter Spies & Wayan Limbak – Kecak
A fascinating journey for a multi-talented German artist, with the unexpected collaboration with Di Balin elevating the work to legendary status. It was originally created for a scene in a German documentary film in the 1940s.
7. Jun Miyake – Lillies Of The Valley
A simple melody sentence, but it stays stuck in the head.
8. goat (jp) – Rhythm and sound
A band with a strong concept on every album, where rhythm and sound are at the centre of each composition with multiple movements – even melodic instruments follow the same rhythmic patterns.
9. Dewa Alit – Yeh Ngetel
A composition with a conservationist attitude and an exploration of methodology, free from elements of exploitation or exoticism in traditional gamelan music.
10. Daeng Serang Dako – Pakarena
Daeng Serang Dako is a drummer from Makassar, Sulawesi. Pakarena is dance accompaniment music played on two drums and a slompret made from a cow horn. The music is very aggressive and captivating, while the dance choreography is slow, creating a striking contradiction
11. Magnetic Eagle – Den Magnetiske Ørn
A band that focuses on improvisation in every composition; interestingly, they always perform differently in every live show, whether through the composition of the music or the instruments used; sometimes incorporating unusual instruments.
12. Jonny Greenwood – The Body Song
The musician known as Radiohead’s guitarist has a wide range of musical explorations, and his work in film scoring is equally interesting, maintaining the identity and characteristics he displayed in the band.
13. The Observatory – Accidentagram
The combination of prepared guitar sounds, electronics, percussion and a vocalist with a very low register has made The Observatory one of Singapore’s most influential bands.
14. Tarawangsa Welas – Wanci
The sound of a one-stringed instrument has a highly magical element to it, creating a hypnotic effect in every performance.
15. Resina – Trigger
A very intriguing cello composition, not limited by the typical melodic lines of the cello.
16. Y-Dra feat Ayu Permatasari – No Brain Dance Goyang Koplo
This artist succeeds in elevating a musical style that is often considered fringe or associated with lower-class tastes, bringing it to another dimension through collaboration with contemporary dancers.
17. Jerome Cooper – Monk Funk
A very intriguing repetitive composition with unique melodic phrases from a percussionist.
18. Amon Tobin – Lost and found
Varied sound and beat textures in the realm of electronic music.
19. Meshugah – Bleed
A very tight and dense rhythm, as if there is no pause for breathing.
20. Wilco – Via Chicago
There are many unexpected surprises in this song, and uniquely, the vocalist is not disturbed by the chaos of destruction.
21. Dewa Budjana – Kromatik Lagi
A guitarist in a popular Indonesian band, Dewa Budjana has a solo project with various international musicians, and in this composition he successfully blends the chromatic scale into an engaging piece.