SUKATANI - GELAP GEMPITA TAPE

Genre: POST PUNK / PUNK ROCK
Country of Origin: INDONESIA

Duo Sukatani comes from Purbalingga, Central Java. They are active in grassroots social and environmental movements. Their commitment can be seen in the lyrics of their songs from the album "Gelap Gempita", written in a straightforward and sharp manner in the Banyumasan dialect. Amidst the prevalence of hip-hop, folk, hardcore punk and indie rock music in activism in Indonesia, Sukatani plays post-punk music with a strong New Wave sensibility. Gothic-Rock’s dark tones blend in with New Romantic melodies and joyful Synth-Pop. A unique mixture that reminds us of Le Tigre, Kathleen Hannah's punk dance unit (Bikini Kills).

This is related to the phenomenon of cross-genre musical tastes within the youth political movement in Indonesia. The fierce masculine nature began to go hand in hand with the feminine popular culture, such as the emergence of K-pop dance in mass actions. The dance floor is no longer isolated within the hedonic space; it now also occupies the protest arena. Protest is the right of all people, irrespective of their various tastes, attitudes, and classes, as well as gender.

Besides voicing disgust over system failure and power imbalance, Sukatani also reminds us of how important these voices are when channeled through tendrils of popular art, which are amplified in the grassroots domain. Let's rock and sing to celebrate the vote of no confidence in the political decisions of the capitalist rulers!