The ancient question: What came first? The chicken or the egg? The church or the choir? The temple or the chant?
The new Indonesian spin on the question is: What came first to Senyawa? The idea to build the Vajranala Monument, a three and a half metres tall structure made of carved red andesite stones, which interprets the local Javanese history and mythology around the Buddhist Brojonalam Temple?
Or was it this collection of new songs which does the same?
No, this is not the kind of question the average release from your work buddy’s band will ever raise. And I honestly cannot give you a completely confident answer to this question. My rather non-spiritual European background doesn’t even allow me to pretend that I fully understand the context in which Senyawa created this album. And I surely won’t embarass myself by trying to analyze its meaning.
Luckily this knowledge isn’t imperative to appreciate the art and feel its impact. What you already know now is that conceptually this Experimental duo works different than most other music groups. But it goes far beyond only that; Wukir Suryadi’s self-made instruments, Rully Shabara’s multi-octave vocal delivery, everything bleeds uniquity. There simply is no other band like Senyawa. Yet besides just being truly original, Senyawa are are also unbelievably good at it! Previous releases like Sujud (2018), their collaboration with Stephen O’Malley Bima Sakti (2020) and their masterpiece Alkisah (2021) already proved that. Vajranala now once again adds new depths to their sound in such a stunning way that it should rightfully be one of the most talked about albums of the year. And yes, that’s of course why I am doing my part here, writing about it even six months after its release.
If you single out certain building blocks there is precedent and reference for the soundscapes you will hear on these six tracks: Einstürzende Neubauten have used similar metallic percussive instruments, and in the extremes the guitar Drone of Sun O))) as well as the sheer Harsh Noise relentlessness of Merzbow shine through. Senyawa however also incorporate many elements which mirror Javenese and broader Asian folkloristic sounds: Deep resonances emulate the chime of Gamelan music, expressive bowing sounds evoke the characteristic longing tone of a spike fiddle. The borders between Electronic Avant-Garde, respected tradition and pure visceral energy are more than blurry, they simply don’t exist. This music dwells in a timeless state of existential contemplation and catharsis, beautiful at its creatively chaotic core, but also plainly the heaviest shit on Earth! And it sometimes is hard to comprehend that these instrumentals are all made by just one man.
Inextricably linked with the force of Suryadi’s powerful custom sounds the vocals however are equally as important in Senyawa’s music. Rully Shabara is easily among the most absurdly versatile singers I have ever seen on stage and he certainly doesn’t take Vajranala as an opportunity to stop impressing. He chants and belts like a prophetic shaman from a mountain top. He whirs and whistles, yells and screeches. His throat rasps in low frequences at the edge of human perceptibility. If you need a commonly known comparison for both the commanding madness and the insane range of pitch and techniques at his disposal, a good name to start is Mike Patton. Shabara’s expression however is very different, his focus less on the eccentric, but on spiritual gravitas. He is a cosmic narrator and also an instrument of his own narration.
Again: There are no two other persons who could just come and play these compositions. The musicians, their roots, personalities and vision, their inherent and created tools - it all forms a perfect unity beyond prosaic explainability. This album steers you towards a world beyond ours. And Senyawa don’t dictate your exact destination in that space. That’s to be found by each listener on their individual terms.
So what are you waiting for? Dare to step through this creative fire, take up the spark, build your own burning shrine and commit your consciousness to the flames!
