Roni Driyastoto

Art, Culture, and Adventure

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EPITAPH Epitaph continues Sandikala's exploration of a compositional method where tempo progressively decelerates, inspired by Javanese gamelan. In gamelan, slowing tempo expands space between the balungan (core melody) while elaborating instruments grow denser—creating a paradoxical sense of time. Traditionally likened to a blooming flower, Sandikala instead imagines a flower that withers and rots.

This rotten flower become a symbol of critique. Epitaph rejects the glorification of tradition and turns instead to the wounds of history. In its center, a broken-radio-like collage features the fragmented voices of Wiji Thukul, Mahmoud Darwish, and Frantz Fanon—echoing like trauma, half-remembered and unresolved.

These sounds are framed by references to Laler Mengeng, a traditional gending associated with death. Like a memory that haunts, it returns beyond control. The radio-static textures resemble a swarm of flies circling decay—history decomposing in sound.

The piece ends with a singular burst of noise, standing in stark contrast. This noise becomes a poetic figure: the Ratu Adil, a messianic force interrupting the relentless march of history. It is not clarity, but rupture; not redemption through reason, but the irrational hope of a future refusing definition. Noise is what remains when articulation fails.

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Production Notes

Instruments: gender barung, gender penerus, gambang, rebab, gong kemodhong, gong ageng, percussion, electronics

Produced by Dion Nataraja & Yustiawan Paradigma Umar Composed and electronics by Dion Nataraja

Performed by Yustiawan Paradigma Umar : gender barung Roni Driyastoto : gambang, gender penerus, rebab Suseno Setyo Wibowo : kemodhong, gambang, gender barung Mustika Garis Sejati : rebab, kemodhong, gender penerus Muhammad Erdifadillah : percussion, kemodhong

Recorded in Sleman, D. I. Yogyakarta, 2025 Mixed and mastered by Luke Taylor Recorded by Muhammad Khoirur Roziqin Production crew: Muhammad Eko Sudarmanto

Illustration “Kerkhof in het park van Buitenzorg” by Raden Saleh Edited by Wok The Rock Sandikala Ensemble Logo and Cover layout by Wok The Rock

Release Date July 7, 2025 by Yes No Wave

Link Epitaph is available to stream and download at https://yesnowave.bandcamp.com/album/epitaph https://yesnowave.com/releases/yesno117/

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Listen to YNK x Pestapora Day 3 mixtape

1. Belatung Melarat - Ramuhing Panguoso Jagad Alusan

2. Punkasila - Lapindo

3. Sipaningkah - Dantuang

4. Sunlotus - Glass-like Dreams

5. Gangsar - Pestol

6. Sandikala Ensemble - Hyperkembangan X

7. Kuntari - Penarabadan

8. Logic Lost - Defeatist Fuck

9. Asep Nayak - Ha'gitar Ane Motok

10. TerbujurKaku - Bercinta Di Udara (PreMaster)

http://on.soundcloud.com/oVUx1wJWWZEo8S

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The Sound of The Machine Looms in The Textile Factory.

Prasojo is one of the textile factories in Klaten Regency known for its superior lurik fabric products that compete well in the market and hold high value. Crafted with dedication and precision by lurik artisans using traditional hand looms and now utilizing machine looms. Lurik represents a cultural heritage whose presence has significant socio-economic impacts on the surrounding community.

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Gua Tabuhan

Gua Tabuhan merupakan salah satu situs penting dalam sejarah peradaban manusia. Gua ini berada di daerah Pacitan, Jawa Timur. Menurut berbagai penelitian, gua ini dulunya merupakan tempat tinggal bagi manusia purba.

Keberadaan stalaktit dan stalagmit gua menjadi salah satu hal yang menarik, karena apabila dipukul akan menghasilkan nada. Bunyi nada itu menurut penduduk sekitar mirip dengan bunyi alat musik gamelan. Seniman daerah setempat memanfaatkan fenomena tersebut dengan memainkan tembang-tembang karawitan menggunakan stalaktit yang tumbuh alami di gua ini.

Setiap sudut gua memiliki karakteristik akustik yang unik. Kami mencoba melakukan serangkaian pengukuran dan percobaan untuk memahami bagaimana bunyi terpantul dan mengalir di dalam gua tersebut.

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Semua Musik Itu Biasa Saja: Sebuah Perspektif Relativitas dalam Penilaian Musik

Penilaian atas kualitas musik seringkali subjektif, dipengaruhi oleh preferensi individu, latar belakang budaya, dan konteks sosial. Dalam konteks yang lebih luas, dapat diargumentasikan bahwa semua musik memiliki nilai yang relatif, dan tidak ada yang dapat secara mutlak dikategorikan baik maupun buruk. Tulisan ini mencoba mengeksplorasi perspektif relativitas dalam penilaian musik, mempertimbangkan berbagai faktor yang membentuk pandangan subjektif terhadap karya musik.

Penilaian atas kualitas musik telah menjadi subjek perdebatan yang panjang dan klise, dengan banyak teori dan pendekatan yang berbeda. Dalam budaya yang semakin global dan terhubung, keberagaman musik dari berbagai belahan dunia semakin mudah diakses dan dinikmati oleh berbagai kalangan. Namun, dengan keberagaman tersebut muncul pula perbedaan dalam preferensi musik dan penilaian atas kualitasnya.

Sebagai hasil dari latar belakang budaya, aspek musikal, maupun pengalaman pribadi, setiap individu memiliki preferensi yang beragam terhadap musik. Apa yang dianggap indah dan berharga bagi satu individu mungkin tidak sama bagi yang lain. Ini menunjukkan bahwa penilaian musik sangat dipengaruhi oleh faktor-faktor subjektif yang bersifat relatif.

Konteks sosial dan budaya juga memainkan peran penting dalam penilaian musik. Sebuah lagu atau genre musik yang dianggap sebagai simbol kebanggaan nasional dalam suatu budaya mungkin tidak memiliki makna yang sama di tempat lain. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa nilai sebuah musik sangat tergantung pada konteks budaya dan sosial di mana musik tersebut dihasilkan dan dinikmati.

Dengan adanya keberagaman musik, setiap genre dan gaya musik memiliki karakteristiknya sendiri. Menghargai keberagaman ini berarti mengakui kekayaan kreativitas manusia dalam menciptakan ekspresi musik yang beragam. Tidak ada suatu genre atau gaya musik yang secara inheren pun lebih baik atau lebih buruk daripada yang lain, karena setiap jenis musik memiliki kontribusi dalam ilmu pengetahuan, baik sebagai bagian dari ritus ataupun sekadar sarana hiburan bagi pendengarnya.

Dalam pandangan ini, semua musik memiliki nilai yang relatif dan tidak ada yang benar-benar baik atau buruk secara absolut. Penilaian musik sangat dipengaruhi oleh preferensi individu, konteks budaya, dan latar belakang sosial. Menghargai keberagaman musik adalah salah satu langkah apresiatif terhadap setiap karya untuk menghindari superioritas dan penilaian yang bersifat mutlak.

Yogyakarta, 4 Juni 2024.

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Melampaui Batasan Genre

Dalam dunia seni, termasuk dalam seni musik, setiap karya memiliki ciri khas dan identitasnya sendiri. Sebagaimana dalam seni rupa yang memiliki beragam aliran seperti ekspresionis, dadais, realis, surealis, naturalis, abstrak, dan lain sebagainya, demikian pula dalam musik terdapat beragam genre yang mencerminkan keberagaman ekspresi.

Salah satu kesalahan umum yang sering terjadi adalah mencoba membedakan karya musik secara eksklusif berdasarkan genre. Hal ini dapat menjadi pengaruh yang kurang baik karena mengabaikan estetika dan kompleksitas yang terdapat dalam setiap karya musik. Mengklasifikasikan sebuah karya hanya berdasarkan pada genre bisa mengurangi apresiasi terhadap kreativitas maupun inovasi yang terdapat di dalamnya.

Seperti seni rupa, seni musik juga mengalami evolusi yang konstan. Aliran-aliran baru terus muncul, kadang-kadang bahkan menciptakan genre baru yang sulit untuk diklasifikasikan. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa karya-karya musik tidak selalu dapat dipaksakan ke dalam kotak genre yang sudah ada.

Selain itu, mengabaikan keberagaman setiap karya musik juga dapat merugikan bagi perkembangan seni secara keseluruhan. Dengan membatasi diri hanya pada satu genre atau mengeksekusi karya musik berdasarkan ekspektasi genre tertentu, kita mungkin melewatkan peluang untuk mengeksplorasi dan mengapresiasi karya-karya yang berbeda dari yang biasanya kita dengar.

Apresiasi terhadap karya musik sebaiknya tidak terbatas pada pengenalannya sebagai bagian dari suatu genre tertentu, tetapi juga meliputi pemahaman terhadap konteks, perasaan, dan pesan yang ingin disampaikan oleh penciptanya. Setiap karya musik adalah sebuah cerita yang menarik untuk dipelajari, serta menawarkan estetika dengan ekspresi yang beragam.

Dengan demikian, lebih baik kita melihat setiap karya musik sebagai sebuah entitas yang mandiri, menghargai keberagaman genre dan menikmati keindahan yang ditawarkan oleh masing-masing karya, tanpa membatasi diri dengan upaya membedakan berdasarkan genre semata.

Yogyakarta, 4 Juni 2024.

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This study examines three short stories in the anthology of the short story Cinta Tak Ada Mati by Eka Kurniawan based on the perspective of Pierre Bourdieu. The three short stories studied were "Kutukan Dapur", “Lesung Pipit" and "Tak Ada yang Gila di Kota Ini". This study aims to describe and analyze the structuration of power consisting of capital, class, habitus, arena, violence and power, as well as symbolic violence in the three short stories selected.

The method used in this research is descriptive analysis using a discursive approach. The data collection technique used in this research is literature study. In the literature study, the steps taken are listening and taking notes, namely listening to the reading material and recording the data obtained for later analysis using Pierre Bourdieu's theory. The data that has been analyzed are presented with a descriptive qualitative approach.

The results of this study are: (1) there are four capitals owned by the characters in the short stories "Kutukan Dapur", "Lesung Pipit", and "Tak Ada yang Gila di Kota Ini", namely: economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital. (2) The class division of the characters is influenced by the strength of the capital they have. In this short story, the dominant class was occupied by the colonialists or the Dutch in the short story "Kutukan Dapur", shamans in the short story "Lesung Pipit", as well as travelers and preachers on the short story "Tak Ada yang Gila di Kota Ini". The small bourgeoisie class consisted of Diah Ayu and Maharani in the short story "Kutukan Dapur", Lesung Pipit's father in the short story "Lesung Pipit", and order officers on the short story "Tak Ada yang Gila di Kota Ini". Then the popular class is filled with native servants in the short story "Kutukan Dapur", Lesung Pipit in the short story "Lesung Pipit", and people with mental disorders in the short story "Tak Ada yang Gila di Kota Ini", (3) Habitus and the arena used or described in the three short stories is the social life of the middle to lower society with a historical and socio-cultural background. (4) The symbolic violence found in the three short stories is in the form of a mechanism of euphemism, censorship mechanism, and creating the world. Symbolic violence is inherent in every action, social structure, knowledge structure, structure of one's consciousness, and imposes power on the social order.

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Hyperkembangan X

Dion Nataraja’s new work with Sandikala Ensemble.

The attempt to stretch the concept of irama by exploring the liminality between pulse and noise is at the heart of this piece. This idea, coming from Central Javanese gamelan, organizes the temporal density within a piece; starting from irama lancar with one saron panerus beats per balungan notes, to irama rangkep with sixteen saron panerus beats per balungan notes. Hyperkembangan is based on a central question: what would the sound of an extremely high level of irama be, where the balungan notes is imperceivably sparse, while the elaboration is extremely dense? This hypothetical situation leads me to conceptualize a piece based on a progression from pulse, to complex sound (represented by spectral harmonies), to noise—noise here functions as a representation of an overload in the elaborative part. The piece is played with two gendèrs with pair tuning consists of customized 14-notes system that could accommodate spectral harmonies (based on the spectra of note 1 in gendèr struck with hard mallet) and its various manipulations. The "X" in the title—as well as a reference to Boulez's "Polyphonie X"—suggests a kind of cultural defacing, where new content is imposed on the cultural memory of the music, yet still maintains parts of those memories; a form of a musical palimpsest. Here is the soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/.../hyperkembangan-x/s-04MfQGesGbh

Perfomers - Sandikala Ensemble

Gendèr I - Yustiawan Paradigma Umar

Gendèr I - Suseno Setyo Wibowo

Gendèr II,Rebab I - Roni Driyastoto

Gendèr II, Rebab II - Mustika Garis

Percussion - Daniel O'Connor

Gong and electronics - Dion Nataraja

Mixing and Mastering - Luke Taylor

Recording - Adnan

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Herutjokro as Posthuman

Composer   : Dion Nataraja

                              Performed by Sandikala Ensemble

Rebab         : Roni Driyastoto

Gender       : Yustiawan Paradigma Umar

Electronic   : Dion Nataraja

Percussion : Daniel O’Connor

Herutjokro as Posthuman is a piece that explores the ideas of Romo Herutjokro Semono (1900 - 1981) in relation to the discourse of posthumanism. Conceptually, it is an attempt to deconstruct and build new ideas based on the Javanese idea of rasa. At the technical level, it is an attempt to explore ideas such as orchestration of gamelan extended techniques, creation of a new instrument (this piece utilizes new gendèr), spectral harmony, and artificial intelligence.

https://soundcloud.com/dion-nataraja-35198762/herotjokro-as-posthuman?ref=clipboard

For score and essay about the piece, contact [email protected]

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Gending in the First Friday Night Mass at HKTY Ganjuran Church

Karawitan art as one of the elements of Javanese culture has grown rapidly in a Church called Hati Kudus Tuhan Yesus (HKTY) in Ganjuran. This could be proven by the use of karawitan art in the ritual ceremonies in the church, especially on mass and big days of Christians who use the Javanese language. One of the masses which always use music as a liturgical music is the first Friday Night Mass that is held every month on Thursday before the first Friday in Ganjuran Church.

This research is an effort to describe the inculturation form of gending in the First  Friday Night Mass at HKTY Ganjuran Church, the presentation structure and  work on gending  of Pujiastuti  and Kirab Agung  which is a unique gending at the First Friday Night Mass in Ganjuran Church. The method  used in this research is descriptive-analysis by collecting  data, namely: literature study, observation, and data analysis.

Gending  that is used in the First Friday Night Mass at HKTY Ganjuran Church is a form of inculturation  between liturgical music and Javanese gamelan music. The gending consist of the form of lancaran, ketawang, ladrang, and other forms outside the traditional gending form presented at the opening rite, liturgy of the word,  the eucharistic  liturgy, and the closing rite. The  practice using karawitan as liturgical music in a mass has an important  role  in  church worship. Karawitan as a local culture, along with its values and of course closer to the local people, can quickly become  one of the means of praise, thanksgiving, worship and the   proclamation of God's salvation work for all mankind.

My research can be seen in the following link: http://digilib.isi.ac.id/3131/

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The Sound of Saturn

An eargasm from kilometric radiation of Saturn’s ring.

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Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere

Albert Einstein

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Wiwitan a Tradition Before The Harvest

Farmers in Java are still influenced by the belief over an existance of the power beyond themselves. The invisible supernatural power is believes to also determine human fate therefore it makes good relation between human, nature, and God. To create life harmony, Javanese people conduct a ceremony with feast. This ceremony not only conducted to maintain solidarity but also to maintain good relation with supernatural creature by giving offering.

Wiwitan is a ceremony conducted by farmers in Java as an expression of gratitude to God. In this ceremony, the farmers asked so that God always protect their crops and agricultural products.

This ceremony is done before the rice harvest with equipments and certain procession to make future wish come true and also as a gratefulness expression over gift from God. The farmers make offerings to Dewi Sri, the goddes of fertility, with the purpose that the harvest is always good. This is their way of life to create the balance harmony between human who have social system, norm, and value system by their paradigm on universe.

Photograph by Philiakishi Bilha