Hulubalang – ‘Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal’ album review: A poignant journey through colonisation and conflict
Hulubalang, a moniker adopted by Kasimyn, co-founder of Gabber Modus Operandi, emerged as a response to the need to express grief through music. With Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal, which roughly translates to “a synthetic feeling for an anonymous sacrifice”, he delves into the tumultuous history of Indonesia during Dutch colonisation.
Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal masterfully explores Indonesia’s war records, aiming to give a fresh voice to the many individuals who perished without acknowledgement or historical documentation. While navigating this painful historical legacy, Hulubalang’s unique, unyielding dance music is intertwined with a sense of catharsis and the traditional rhythms of his homeland.
Listening to Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal can be a challenging and intense experience, although perhaps not for the reasons you might expect: while it is a response to Indonesia’s complex history of warfare, there are actually few direct references to that historical context. This lack of explicit connection transforms the essence of dance music, politics, and mortality into a seamless blend.
Ethereal remnants of vocals, distorted and veiled, flow within the music, representing different manifestations of anger. In the track ‘Liang’, for instance, chants transform into gentle synthesizers before surging into a battle cry, reminiscent of a tranquil moment shattered by invaders. Collaborator SaintMary’s unadorned cries take centre stage on ‘Budakkawan’, gradually blending with metallic synthesizers to create a haunting impact, serving as a potent protest against violence.
Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal unearths these dormant emotions and transforms them into sounds that dwell in the shadowy realm, bridging traditional and forward-looking sound craftsmanship. In songs like ‘Sayat’, the rhythms progress into almost otherworldly patterns influenced by gabber and industrial music, propelling the album into a futuristic sphere. While gabber has been central to Hulubalang’s primary endeavour, those sounds discover a compelling new context beyond the initial dance floor.
Hulubalang employs techno and experimental club music as instruments for channelling and depicting the violence of the past. The rhythms intersect without respite, while the harsh snares evoke physical impacts and the darkest hours of conflict. The aggression serves as a path to contemplative self-reflection, and a commentary on how, in the present day, it often feels like war is an ongoing, almost inescapable reality.
Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal is an exploration of ways to release inherited anger and to reconcile with our surroundings. Hulubalang’s project underscores the significance of illuminating buried history, much like the moment when SaintMary’s voice is obscured on ‘Budakkawan’, and a fierce synthesizer carries forward her message. It’s a haunting call that will forever linger in the memory of those responsible for injustice.
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