KUALA LUMPUR – Instrumental band Batavia Collective, a modern jazz trio hailing from Jakarta, has launched a soulful single, 'Affirmation', featuring R&B singer Kamga.
The tune dropped on major music streaming services on Friday (August 13). It is the group's first single to be released under Belgian-UK imprint R&S records.
With the release under the label, Batavia Collective joins the likes of renowned international musicians such as Aphex Twin, DJ Krush, Juan Atkins, James Blake, Nicolas Jaar and more.
The band attributed jazz artists such as the touch of Don Goldie and Mehliana as influences, to Batavia Collective's soundscape, which pays homage to their Indonesian roots. The country was once called Batavia during the Dutch occupation of the republic.
"In our hometown of Jakarta, we were often asked what kind of jazz this is," the band said in a press release.
"To tell you the truth we don’t know. We don’t even know if our music can be considered jazz or not. We just happen to play jazz and we love to party."
Indeed, the UK drum-’n’-bass rhythms have audibly seeped into their sound, which they said was a spontaneous mix of influences patched together through jams and improvisation.
The streets and sounds of Jakarta also had an audible impact group, creating a hot and eclectic mix of erratic patterns.
The band, which consisted of seasoned jazz musicians – Elfa Zulhan on drums, Doni Joesran on keys, and Kenny Gabriel on synth bass – met when they were gathered to play covers of known hip hop and soul songs.
It was not long before they started their band and churned out original compositions, and creating pieces that were not confined to genres.
Through the project, the trio aims to deliver genre-bending music, combining mind-altering synths, snazzy chord progressions, deep sub-bass, energetic grooves, and neck-breaking tempos to produce a sonic feast.
"We create the music through jamming, and afterwards we vote on certain compositions together," says the collective, wielding an open-ended way of structuring the band and their future goals.
"In the end, the purpose is mainly to have fun."
Their joy in combining sounds had gained them a reputation in various music circles, featuring in publications such as Mixmag Asia and performing live concerts in the Goethe Institute.
The band also said they are influenced and driven by the sophistication, ruggedness, and high artistry of future jazz, classic soul, deep house, and hip hop – a representation of the gritty, uncompromising, and hard-hitting streets of Indonesia's capital. – The Vibes, August 15, 2021
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