Jakarta based Batavia Collective releases new single « Propulsion » on R&S Records

The name is simple. The music it produces, is not. Batavia Collective (BTVC), as the name suggests, is a group of Jakarta-based musicians who are equally influenced and driven by the sophistication, ruggedness and high-artistry of future jazz, liquid funk, electronic soul and everything in between, as it is by the gritty, uncompromising and hard-hitting streets of Indonesia’s capital. BTVC are a sonic feast that excites the body and stimulates the mind.

Consisting of Elfa Zulham on drums, Doni Joesran on keys and Kenny Gabriel on synth bass, the trio present genre bending music that combines mind-altering synths, snazzy chord progressions, deep sub-bass, energetic grooves and neck-breaking tempos to produce a sonic feast that excites the body and stimulates the mind.

Signed by the legendary R&S Records, BTVC released their debut single with over 150 000 streams on Apple Music, entering the jazz charts in 88 countries. The band also were featured in Mixmag Asia 6 most inspiring artist of 2021 as well as performing at the Goethe Institut Jakarta’s Alur Bunyi.

Indonesian trio Batavia Collective follow up their stunning debut single, ‘Affirmation’, with another dazzling production and display of musical mastery. On ‘Propulsion’, the Jakarta based threesome of Doni Joesran, Elfa Zulham and Kenny Gabriel surge to dizzying heights, as jazz chops and expert skills result in a breathtaking and powerful instrumental, drenched in mesmerizing melodies and dramatic passages.

But don’t just call it jazz, as BTCV explains: “We are often asked what kind of jazz this is. To tell you the truth we don’t know. We don’t even know if our music can be considered jazz or not.”

The streets and sounds of Jakarta have also had an audible impact on the players, creating a hot and eclectic mix of erratic patterns and colourful themes. Seasoned musicians, Joesran, Zulham and Gabriel initially met when they were assembled to play covers of popular hip-hop and jazz songs; the idea of starting their own band together gestated from there, spontaneously coming to their compositions by allowing influences from all genres and styles into the mix. “We create the music through jamming, and afterwards, we vote on certain compositions together,” say 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.“

‘Propulsion’ by Batavia Collective is available on R&S Records from June 10, 2022.