Music
The Eclectic Sounds of Batavia Collective
Text by Muhammad Azka Muharam
Photos by Ovan Mustofa
Our love for listening to all kinds of music leads us to Batavia Collective. A trio Jakarta based: Elfa Zulham on drums, Doni Joesran on synth & keys, and Kenny Gabriel on synth bass & keys. A powerful and impeccable trio with a progression of synth sounds with steady beats.
We got a chance to watch them live at The Papandayan Jazz Festival on 29th – 30th October 2022, last Friday and Saturday. They played twice, on a smaller stage without Kenny Gabriel on Friday and substituted by a good friend of theirs, Dhani Syah (Elfa Zulham’s brother), and on Saturday on a bigger stage with full force. They always bring their best performance every time we watch them live. After the show, we chatted with them about Batavia Collective, Music, and everything in between. Here’s our interview:
DJ: Doni Joesran, KG: Kenny Gabriel, EZ: Elfa Zulham
Hi guys, so how’s it going for you all?
DJ: I’m good
EZ: All good
DJ: Zulham said before that he’s too happy
EZ: Hahaha, playing in Bandung gives different vibes cause last night, we also played…
KG: Playing in his hometown (Elfa Zulham).
EZ: … We performed last night with a different formation (without Kenny, replaced by Dhani Syah) and also at TP Stage, which is smaller. Doni said at the stage today, we don’t have to practice, just straight up at the stage.
First, can you tell us when you met and how BTV was formed?
DJ: First, we started as a jam band. A jam band that turned into a project also, the first time we performed in 2017 at a show called the Mixtape Session by Berita Angkasa. It was a one-off show that’s all not a regular thing. Before Kenny, there was Jonathan Mono and Randi MP. After that, our producer told us whether we would continue on this project. It would be fun. Then, when I was about to get serious, J Mono and Randi MP suddenly decided not to join. So, we got to find a replacement. Then we got a recommendation from J. Mono to invite Kenny Gabriel to play together. I kept thinking, wow, Kenny would he like it or not? It turns out that he was happy to join the Batavia Collective, which was in 2018.
Basically, all of you guys have an academic background in music, can you tell us about your musical journey that influenced BTV? or your main influences?
KG: We have different influences like Doni and Zulham have a strong Jazz background, and I also have other references. There’s also electronic music, and there’s hip-hop too. When in Batavia, it was a fusion, so we mixed everything, and that’s the genre of the Batavia Collective. Because the music we listen to is random for each of us, we never re-group and look up the same reference. So when we met at the studio, we just jammed. That’s where the sound of Batavia came from.
EZ: When we enter the studio, we throw ideas at each other and start from zero to make new compositions.
How’s the progress of the EP going? Any challenges along the way? What is the creative process towards it?
DJ: Well, it’s going well, but…
KG: Nah, man, at first, it ain’t well.
(everyone laughs)
KG: How can you say it’s well
DJ: It’s safe until now. The process has a funny part, right Ken?
KG: There is a funny story in the process of making our EP. In making the EP, we decided to go to Bali to record demos of the songs we had made. Then long story short, 6 to 7 demos have been completed. Assuming this will be an EP, our record label must take at least four songs, and it turns out that our record label uses nothing.
DJ: Because of tracking
KG: Because at that time, we were tracking the recording process. Each of us at our home added more, re-recorded it, and the label didn’t like it. After that, we started making it from scratch and entered the studio. We didn’t practice, we just recorded our jamming session, and that’s what we sent. And it turns out that what is taken by the record label.
Talking about improvisation, what is your view on improvisation? I’m sure that in every jamming session, there’s improvisation. When is the limit, or is there a limitation when you guys do improvisation on and off stage?
KG: That’s precisely the part we couldn’t conclude, hahaha. We made up several parts on stage, and we thought it would be good to make a track out of it, but suddenly we just forgot.
DJ: For me, what’s going on stage is an exchange of energies between us. It’s not just us; other musicians also do this on stage when certain spontaneous things happen. We love to do random things that happen only on stage, which is why we rarely practice.
KG: That’s the unique thing.
DJ: Yes, it is, and that’s why before going on stage, we just wrote and discussed the tracklist we want to play. The rest leave it to the almighty God, hahaha.
Can you tell us about the track Propulsion, its story, and how you guys made it?
EZ: That’s made out of jamming as well.
KG: We were invited to play at Goethe Haus and asked to create a song about Jakarta. We depicted a day in Jakarta and poured it to the sounds of Propulsion.
DJ: Just pure rebel.
KG: Later, we polished it again after recording.
How do you guys feel when included in the R&S records? the home to many great musicians like Aphex Twin, Nicolas Jaar, lone, Blawan, Joey Beltram, and the list goes on..
DJ: For me personally I’m afraid but challenging at the same time. It means that we are working with new people, and what Kenny said earlier was part of the process. And in the future, there will be more surprises.
KG: But what is certain is that our goals are one step to elevate. As a band, we hope our music can come out of Indonesia too.
Looking at the Indonesian Jazz scene itself or the Indonesian Jazz culture not as diverse outside as in the UK jazz scene, for example, multi-race, multi-genre, and age will it always be a niche thing? What is your perspective on this, and is there any special mission from BTVC?
DJ: Yes, it’s going to be a niche thing.
EZ: Our background is Jazz, but we blend all music from all genres.
KG: Batavia Collective, without people realizing it, got that Jazz DNA too. Indirectly, the treatment with the chords we play, which are Jazz. But we don’t self-proclaim that we are a Jazz band.
DJ: We never declare that we are Jazz, but we are influenced by the Jazz that we like.
Walking through the gears, especially the synthesizers you guys used, are there any specific setups? We noticed that you guys used various synths. Like in the Friday League session, Kenny uses the Behringer Deep Mind 6 paired with the Microkorg XL, and Doni uses the Nord Electro paired with a sequencer synth. And the last time you guys played at Goethe Institut, Doni used the Nord Electro 2 paired with the Microkorg. Meanwhile, Kenny used the Korg Krome and Moog Voyager to produce that sub-bass sound. Any rotation between the setups?
KG: From the previous instrument, we have more or less fixed the setup. Mas Doni with the sound of his electric piano and all kinds of synth sounds that produced the sounds of synth poly. And my job here is as a bassist who takes care of the bassline. I also assisted Mas Doni when he was playing the melody. I played the poly synth or the chords, so they alternated with each other.
You guys will end the year playing at Wonderfruit Festival. Are you guys excited about it?
DJ: Very excited about it.
KG: Yes, really excited.
KG: If he departs ahead of the time, he’s (Doni) very excited, hahaha
EZ: Extend until the new year.
KG: He will move to Thai then.
DJ: Excited about this.
KG: I’m also excited and afraid simultaneously because I don’t know what kind of crowd there is.
EZ: We initially played Friday and then moved to Saturday.
KG: The pressure arises…
DJ: Honestly, I don’t know what it’s like there. But I could imagine it.
EZ: Looks like this November, we will be practicing each week.
KG: I don’t think so.
Next question, a little personal about the track Delta, when will you ever play it live?
KG: Delta is our song?
EZ: Yes, it’s our single.
KG: It’s hard to play, hahaha.
EZ: We’ve never rehearsed before, and the sounds are all electronic.
KG: Have we ever played it?
DJ: No, we rehearsed it once, but after almost a quarter of the song, it was hard, hahaha
KG: But we already prepared to make a simple version of it.
DJ: Yes, we have prepared a simple version but have yet to practice. But thanks for asking this question. Such an honor.
EZ: It means that we have to practice it then, hahaha.
Last thing, any advice for the young generations out there?
KG: I have one for generations younger than me.
DJ: Digging, digging!
EZ: Maybe because we are musicians. I want it to continue to regenerate. I hope so. Where the music is also more extensive and diverse, we may have to delete the existing boxes with no restrictions and continue to grow.
DJ: The younger generations played better than me, hahaha. But one thing is for sure: never stop exploring and searching for broader music knowledge. Don’t hesitate yourself like thinking about “The seniors are so cool” don’t close yourself off. It’s because when I was in my time, it was like having a jam session with Indra Lesmana and the others. We’re all waiting around the corner. It’s up to them what they want to say. What’s important is that I was there. You got to respect them but don’t over-respect them also.
KG: I’ll add one thing for those younger than me, don’t take it too seriously. Just spent some time partying! hahaha
DJ: Yes, go out for a party!
KG: Because if you don’t like partying, your music sucks! hahaha. Even if you are good at playing music but don’t like to party, you’re less cool, hahaha.
Batavia Collective: Elfa Zulham – Doni Joesran – Kenny Gabriel – 2022
Translated by Muhammad Azka Muharam
Photos by Ovan Mustofa
Kecintaan kami untuk mendengarkan semua jenis musik membawa kami ke Batavia Collective. Trio yang berasal dari ibukota Jakarta di punggawai oleh: Elfa Zulham pada drum, Doni Josran pada synth & keys, dan Kenny Gabriel pada synth bass & keys. Trio yang sempurna dengan suara synth dan beat drum yang stabil. Kami berkesempatan menyaksikan mereka secara langsung di The Papandayan Jazz Festival pada 29-30 Oktober 2022, Jumat dan Sabtu lalu. Mereka bermain dua kali, di panggung yang lebih kecil tanpa Kenny Gabriel pada hari Jumat dan digantikan oleh teman baik mereka, Dhani Syah (kakak Elfa Zulham), dan pada hari Sabtu di panggung yang lebih besar dengan kekuatan penuh. Mereka selalu memberikan penampilan terbaiknya setiap kali kami menontonnya secara langsung. Setelah pertunjukan, kami mengobrol dengan mereka tentang Batavia Collective, Musik, dan segala sesuatu di antaranya. Berikut wawancara kami:
DJ: Doni Joesran, KG: Kenny Gabriel, EZ: Elfa Zulham
Hi semua, gimana-gimana apa kabar semua?
DJ: Baik baik
EZ: All good
DJ: Zulham tadi bilang sih katanya terlalu seneng
EZ: Hahaha, Bandung vibes nya beda sih, karena semalam kita main juga
KG: Main di kampung halaman
EZ: Kita perform juga, formasi nya juga beda di TP Stage bawah, lebih kecil soalnya. Terus kita sekarang kumpul lagi, Doni bilang sih tadi pas perform kita ga perlu latihan lah langsung ketemu di stage aja.
Gimana sih awalnya kalian bertemu dan akhirnya BTV terbentuk dan di tahun berapa?
DJ: Waktu itu Batavia pertama kali terbentuk as a jam band sih sebenernya. Jam band itu as a project juga, waktu itu ada acara di 2017 Mixtape Session namanya. Sebenernya itu cuman sekali acara aja ga yang regular. Setelah itu bikin project lagi, sebelum ada Kenny dulu ada J. Mono sama ada Randi MP, setelah itu produser kita bilang ini bakal dilanjutin ga nih? ini bakal seru nih. Terus pas lagi mau diseriusin pas lagi jalan, tiba-tiba J.Mono dan Randi MP memutuskan untuk engga bergabung. Nah sama siapa nih kita nih, terus kita dapet rekomendasi dari J.Mono buat bareng sama Kenny Gabriel. Terus sempet mikir sih, wah Kenny mau ga yah, ternyata dia dengan senang hati mau untuk join Batavia Collective, itu di tahun 2018.
Karena kalian semua punya latar belakang akademik di musik, bisa ceritain tentang perjalanan musik kalian yang mempengaruhi BTV gak?
KG: Justru kita influence nya beda-beda, jadi kaya mas Doni dan mas Zulham sendiri punya background Jazz yang lumayan kuat, dari gua pun berbeda dari referensi-referensi diluar itu juga ada electronic music nya juga, ada hip-hop nya juga. Jadi ketika di Batavia ini emang bener-bener fusion jadi nyampur semua, nah itulah jadi genre si Batavia Collective ini. Karena dari masing-masing kita random juga musik yang di dengerin nya bahkan kita ga pernah re-group nyari referensi yang sama. Jadi ketemu di studio bener-bener langsung nge-jam aja, itulah bunyi Batavia dari situ asalnya.
EZ: Tapi emang setiap dari kita ketika masuk studio masing-masing saling lempar ide dan mulai dari 0 bikin komposisi baru.
Gimana nih proses EP kalian? ada hambatan atau kesulitan kah di tengah jalan dan bisa ceritain tentang proses kreatif nya?
DJ: Sampe sekarang aman sih, cuman…
KG: Engga sih, awal-awal ga aman sih
(semua tertawa)
KG: Kok bisa bilang aman…
DJ: Aman sampai saat ini, proses nya ada bagian lucu nya ya Ken ya.
KG: Ada cerita lucu dalam proses kita bikin EP kita ini, proses pembuatan EP nya itu kita memutuskan untuk pergi ke Bali buat rekaman demo lagu-lagu yang udah kita bikin. Lalu singkat cerita udah jadi lah 6 sampai 7 demo, dengan asumsi ini akan jadi EP lah minimal pasti ada 4 lagu yang diambil. Ternyata ga ada yang dipake semua dari orang record label kita.
DJ: Karena tracking ya
KG: Karena waktu itu kita sempet proses rekaman nya tracking kan, dari masing-masing dirumah kita tambahin lagi, kita rekam ulang lagi ternyata emang ga disukain dari pihak label nya. Abis itu kita bener-bener dari nol lagi bikin dan dimana kita bener-bener masuk ke studio ga pake latihan ga pake apa, direkam ngejam dan itu yang kita kirim. Dan ternyata yang diambil yang itu sama record label. Kita udah ngerjain 6-7 lagu ga dipake semua.
Ngomongin soal improvisasi, bagaimana tanggapan kalian soal ini? Saya yakin di setiap sesi jamming itu ada improvisasi, dan kapan batas atau ada batasan ketika kalian melakukan improvisasi di dalam dan di luar panggung?
KG: Nah itu yang kita belum temuin sebenernya hahaha, ada part atau bagian yang kita bikin di panggung, terus di dengerin jadi lagu kayanya enak kayanya udah gitu lupa.
DJ: Gua sih kalo diatas panggung kaya pembauran energi, bukan hanya kita yah tapi other musicians pasti ada satu atau dua hal diatas panggung yang terjadi begitu aja secara spontan. Nah kita tuh gitu banget hahaha. Spontan banget, makanya yang gua bilang kita ga pernah latihan sebelum naik panggung, sekalinya latihan malah kita lupa-lupa.
KG: Itu aneh nya tuh.
DJ: Itu anehnya, makanya kita sebelum manggung biasanya cuman ngurutin lagu aja track ini, ini, ini. Sisanya terserah kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa.
Bisa jelasin soal cerita dibalik track Propulsion dan gimana proses kalian bikinnya?
EZ: Itu kita jamming juga. Sebenernya hasil dari kita jamming bareng.
KG: Terus kita diundang buat main di Goethe Haus waktu itu dan kita disuruh bikin lagu bertemakan Jakarta, menggambarkan Jakarta dalam satu hari. Propulsion itu menggambarkan macet nya Jakarta.
DJ: Rebel aja gitu.
KG: Lalu kita sempurnakan lagi setelah direkam.
Bagaimana perasaan kalian ketika masuk R&S records? banyak musisi hebat seperti aphex twin, nicolas jaar, lone, blawan, joey beltram yang sudah pernah dirilis oleh mereka sebelumnya
DJ: Gua sih jiper yah hahaha cuman itu challenging sih, sangat-sangat challenging. Maksudnya kita bekerja sama dengan orang baru dan yang tadi Kenny cerita itu bagian dari proses nya tuh. Dan kedepan nya pasti ada surprise-surprise lagi.
KG: Tapi yang pasti secara goals kita ini salah satu step to elevate. Karena secara band kita emang berharap musik kita bisa keluar dari Indonesia juga.
Berbicara tentang scene Jazz Indonesia, mengapa tidak se diverse diluar seperti di UK Jazz scene misalnya, multi ras, multi genre dan umur, dan apakah akan selalu menjadi niche? Dan apakah kalian punya misi tersendiri untuk menjaga/melestarikan musik ini?
DJ: Kalo gua sih iya, akan selalu menjadi niche.
EZ: Kita emang background nya Jazz tapi kita blend semua musik dari semua genre.
KG: Sebetulnya secara ga langsung Batavia Collective sendiri tanpa di sadari orang mendengarkan Batavia ada Jazz nya juga. Secara ga langsung treatment kita mainnya dengan chord yang kita main itu Jazz. Tapi kita ga self-proclaim diri kita sendiri adalah sebuah Jazz band.
DJ: Kita ga pernah nge declare kalo kita sendiri itu adalah Jazz gitu, cuman influence nya dari Jazz yang kita suka.
Melihat gear yang kalian pake nih, terutama synthesizer yang kalian gunakan, apakah ada setup khusus? Kalian menggunakan berbagai macam synth. Seperti pada sesi Friday League, Kenny pake Behringer Deep Mind 6 dan di pairing dengan Microkorg XL, dan Doni menggunakan Nord Electro yang dipasangkan dengan synth sequencer. Dan terakhir kali kalian bermain di Goethe Institut, Doni menggunakan Nord Electro 2 yang dipasangkan dengan Microkorg. Sementara itu, Kenny menggunakan Korg Krome dan Moog Voyager untuk menghasilkan suara sub-bass tersebut. Ada rotasi antara instrumen-instrumen yang kalian gunakan kah?
KG: Kalo dari instrumen tadi sebenernya kita udah kurang lebih fix kaya gitu setup nya. Mas Doni dengan suara electric piano nya dan segala macem bunyi-bunyian synth yang berbau synth poly. Dan tugas gua disini sebagai bassist yang menjaga si bassline nya. Dan synth yang satu lagi gua ngebantu Mas Doni ketika dia lagi main melodi gua main yang synth poly nya atau chord nya gitu, jadi saling bergantian satu sama lain.
Kalian akan mengakhiri tahun dengan bermain di Wonderfruit Festival. Bagaimana perasaan dan persiapannya?
DJ: Gua excited banget.
KG: Excited banget sih.
KG: Sampe berangkat duluan excited banget hahaha
EZ: Lu extend sampe taun baru.
KG: Dia pindah Thaliand kayanya.
DJ: Ya seneng banget sih, excited banget.
KG: Degdegan juga sih sebenernya, kalo gue, karena belum tau crowd disana kaya gimana.
EZ: Kita awalnya main hari Jumat terus dipindahin ke hari Sabtu.
KG: Pressure nya ya..
DJ: Jujur belum tau hawa nya gitu disana. Cuman kayanya kebayang sih.
EZ: Kayanya November kita latihan tiap minggu.
KG: Kayanya engga sih.
Pertanyaan selanjutnya, sedikit pribadi tentang lagu Delta, kapan kalian bakal memainkannya secara langsung?
KG: Delta emang lagu kita ya?
EZ: Iya itu single kita.
KG: Wah itu susah hahaha
EZ: Kita belum pernah latihan yah, dan emang semuanya sound nya electronic gitu.
KG: Kita pernah bawain ga sih?
DJ: Engga, kita pernah mau bawain cuman pas udah jalan hampir seperempat lagu tuh, susah hahaha
KG: Tapi kita udah mau sempet bikin versi simple nya.
DJ: Iya kita udah nyiapin versi simple nya cuman emang belum latihan aja.
Terakhir, ada pesan engga buat generasi-generasi muda diluar sana?
KG: Gua ada sih buat generasi yang dibawah.
DJ: Digging, digging!
EZ: Mungkin karena kita backgroundnya semua musisi. pengen nya terus ada re-generasi sih, ya berharap seperti itu. Dimana musik-musik juga makin luas dan beragam. Mungkin harus menghapuskan kotak-kotak yang sudah ada sih pengen nya dan ga ada batasan. Bisa terus berkembang.
DJ: Gua apa yah for younger generations, yang lebih muda dari gua jago-jago masalahnya hahaha Buat yang lebih muda nya lagi jangan lepas buat ngulik, cari wawasan musik lebih luas. Jangan sungkan-sungkan kaya “wah itu senior keren banget” jangan menutup diri untuk bisa kenal sama mereka gitu. Soalnya pas jaman gua aja ibaratnya lagi jam session ada Indra Lesmana ada yang lainnya kita nih semuanya di pinggir ngantri, terserah gua mau dikatain apa kek yang penting gua ada di situ dulu. Jangan terlalu over respect juga pokonya.
KG: Gua nambahin aja satu lagi, mungkin buat yang lebih muda dari gua jangan kebanyakan serius-serius banget, party lah! hahaha
DJ: Iya party lah!
KG: Karena kalo lu ga party lagu-lagu lu ga asik! hahaha Lu jago tapi lu ga party, ga asik hahaha Karena ini abang-abangan nya party semua (Doni & Elfa) hahaha.
Batavia Collective: Elfa Zulham – Doni Joesran – Kenny Gabriel (2022)
