Senyawa bring their experimental expression to Roadburn 2022.
The size of our music communities seem to have expanded and contracted multiple times in multiple ways over the last couple of years. The ability to travel – for both artists and audience – has been stymied, but at the same time online collaborations and performances have flourished. However, this April, we plan to bring Senyawa all the way from Indonesia to Tilburg – shortening the physical distance between us and them for a real life, in-the-flesh performance, and we’re delighted to welcome them to Roadburn.
The duo – Rully Shabara and Wukir Suryadi – reflect their Javanese heritage through a prism of contemporary experimental music, creating something unique, and truly mesmerising. At the heart of their compositions is the distinctive sound of a handcrafted, homemade instrument formed by Wukir from one long piece of bamboo adorned with guitar pick-ups that can be utilised as an amplified instrument or played acoustically, as both a stringed instrument and percussion. Alongside this Rully’s electrifying extended vocal technique loops together threads from both Eastern and Western sonic pallets to create the Senyawa sound.
Their experimental nature is not confined to the way they compose music; last year they collaborated with no less than 44 record labels around the globe to release their album Alkisah, allowing each autonomy over the presentation of the album in their local market. Their appetite for collaboration and their unrestrained approach to getting their music out in the world makes them true ambassadors for the global nature of music – borders, expectations, and out of date attitudes be damned.
We’re thrilled to be able to invite Senyawa to Roadburn. Roll on April.
