I Survived Solo Harsh Fest 2024!

Indonesia’s laid back culture is a total contrast to their deep appreciation for punk, metal, extreme music, & the harsh noise arts. They have country wide noise scenes that have many noise artists and groups. It spans key areas from Jakarta and Yogyakarta, to Pacitan, Malang, Solo, and Bali, and many others.

Harsh noise is a more cult, underground form of extreme experimental music, but in Indonesia, it is also a celebrated form of music. Like Japan and Asia they have different noise scenes in key cities. But they have the biggest and widest scenes.

Over the years it has become a time-honored path for noise artists to make a pilgrimage and play here. A noise journey experience to one of the major epicenters of Asian noise experimental music, with annual shows such as Bones, Jogjakarta Noise Bombing, Solo Harsh fest, Chaos Non Musica, and other noisefests.

This year’s Solo Harsh Fest is the major year-ender noise event by the OGs of Bengawan Noise Syndicate. It featured 51 international harsh noise acts, each with their own sounds and countless noise instruments and devices.

There were noise entities from the USA, Japan, Europe, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and of course local and Solo hometown noise OGs. It’s both an international harsh noise party and convention in one.

Tons of merch, tapes, CDs, vinyl, shirts, and various merch in different tables surrounded the back area & lounge. Also for sale were killer noise devices by the top local gadget makers.

Yours truly had the privilege of being a part of this event joining as an audience and participant. Solo or Surakarta City, is in Central Java, where Indonesian metalhead President Widodo was born, and also his son. They don’t F around when it comes to extreme music, including noise. It’s all heavy, LOUD, tripped out, experiMental & Destroy-mode fun for 2 days.

Experiencing this annual fest of the best harsh noise from around the globe is a feel-good, total rock n roll show, but with extreme, grating, destructive harsh noise as the musick. This contradicting contrast makes it both unique and awesome.

Yes, harsh noise is also party music aside from being extreme protest music as well. The venue was at Boogie Down, a spacious party and events place boasting of a loud sound system and incredible graffiti art. The staff were all laidback despite all the energetic noise moshing and crowd surfing, and even noise wrestling and backflipping involved.

All extreme sound art styles were well represented, with harsh noise, power electronics, industrial, dark ambient, space noise (?), ethnic instrument fusion noise, and even a gangsta rap noise fusion group played. All were on their loudest A-game. And there was an endless array of pedals, synths, ancient noise devices, and other obscure magick noise weapons.

It was hard to keep track of all the artist names especially if you’re having fun. Each noiser would play their set, kick ass, leave, and then it’s on to the next one.

(for the full list please see the lineup and CDRom tracklist ^)

The show was professional and well-organized. People destroyed and partied for 2 days straight at maxest volume. It was a megadose of great chaotic sounds and harsh noise moshing and crowd surfing. And the show was on track, finishing on time.

The afterparty started with a set from a killer techno industrial trio band of two vocalists with industrial VR devices and a DJ/FX master, complete with futuristic death industrial props and tv monitors with trippy and sick footage. (I forgot to ask for their name).

After which, the staff put back the place to its normal schedule as a hangout and party club after hours. With the exception of noise participants and crowds around the venue, there were barely any signs that only hours ago, one of the loudest noise parties in the world had rocked for 2 days and it happened there.

[Hails to the Bengawan Noise Syndicate and all their members for the killer show. With special thanks to beautiful city of Solo, Chester/Jaw Surgery, Remon, Jared Xu, Aditya P., and all the noisers and participants this year.]

p.s. Indonesia has 90s era MTV on cable TV. The perfect send off before going home…

[Rx Zenabi]

Click here for the Top Five Post-Gig Munchies, Indonesian Edition Special Report.