Hulubalang Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal

In Kasimyn's own words, the phrase "bunyi Bunyi Tumbal" signifies a "Synthetic Feeling for Anonymous Sacrifice," encompassing the emotions born out of a deep dive into the Indonesian war archives. These archives include a trove of photographs documenting the era of Dutch rule, captured through the lens of the colonizers themselves. It is from this point of departure that the project Hulubalang was born.

Hulubalang's gaze is drawn to the peripheral figures populating these historical records. These secondary characters, devoid of individual significance, bear no names, receive no recognition, and serve as props in the broader narrative of history. Simultaneously, they become indispensable instruments in acquiring "lessons learned" from the perspectives of both the victors and the vanquished. Within this framework, the notion of Tumbal, the non-belligerent "sacrifice," assumes a weight surpassing its translation. Tumbal neither acts as a victim nor martyrs itself for its cause. It hauntingly reminds us of the systemic curse perpetually engendering disillusionment.

Bunyi Bunyi Tumbal is a personal act of catharsis stemming from a long lineage of anger. It stands as a tribute to a village whose ritualistic dance, one night, was disrupted by external forces, causing the tune to shatter and leaving the dance caught in a space between innocence and pain.

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Artist Bio

Aditya Surya Taruna (aka Kasimyn) is one half of the Indonesian electronic duo Gabbar Modus Operandi known for their acclaimed records Puxxximaxxx and Hoxxxya (out via Yes No Wave and Svbkvlt, respectively) and overwhelming, hyper-active and unprecedented live experiences which have made them a popular act on several festivals of experimental music. In 2022, Kasimyn contributed with beats on Björk's latest album, Fossora, featured on three tracks: "Atopos", "Trölla-Gabba", and "Fossora", joined Björk on stage in Tokyo, Japan in March 2023 as part of her live tour Cornucopia, and appears on two of her album's music videos Atopos and Fossara. After joining Björk on her Cornucopia tour in Japan, Kasimyn is announcing his solo album on Drowned by Locals under his new project Hulubalang.

Text for Album by Riar Rizaldi (translated from Indonesian)

Kusnah walked slowly on the edge of a sand dune, across the coastline. It's safer here, she thought. On the horizon she saw a mirage, a fata morgana. In her mind, thinking of fata morgana as a destination is a better objective than the fact that she has to stay and live in the village: her body is needed for offerings, perhaps for the gods who are thirsty for the anatomy of human body or for the cults of development that is built by blood and the construction of fractured human bones. Perhaps as a political sacrifice too. For her, in a landscape where politics is intertwined with zoē, that's where the world really is at work.

While gazing at the piles of oysters on the beach, in her head she heard a peculiar party music with dank beats and messy strings. An umwelt. This was a victory song that she often plays loud in her mind when she feels defeated—however, not losing, but giving in. In her life, she spent more time giving in. She looked at the pile of oysters. Why do humans see oysters as lowly creatures compared to more advanced species like them? Oh more precisely, she remembered Plato's comparison of a hedonist man with an oyster. Live only in the moment of the here and now.

But Kusnah felt she was a hedonist. She lives for the here and now. She lives not for progress. To hell with the progress and development. She lives to experience time. She lives for jouissance. So for her, Plato had a point. As she looked at the oyster again very carefully, the weird music in her head transmitted louder and louder. She asked herself: as hedonist animals who just stay quiet and experience the waves, do these oysters also have music that revolves around their bodies and makes them feel victorious amidst an ocean of defeats?

Kusnah's gaze grew intense. From behind, came the sound of human footsteps running in a crowd. One, two, three, four the familiar sound of boots stomping. Five, six, seven, the clapping of ugly flip-flops. The fata morgana on the sand dune was instantly broken up by a bloodthirsty mob. As time went on, she heard faint screams. "That's her!" sounds vague but firm. The steps became louder. The music in Kusnah's head played louder. It didn't take long for her to start dancing. Like a possessed ghost, many people say. She wasn't in a trance, she was just enjoying the music playing in her head. Tens of people started to look in high-definition when Kusnah opened her eyelids.

"We will offer you to the gods of progress!" shouted the men with machetes and cleavers in their hands. Kusnah dances like she is out-of-body possessed. "Come on! Take her!" the men rushed to Kusnah, carrying ropes to tie her up. Kusnah smiled widely, while unable to control her dancing body.

"Take my body, but I will never share the hulubalang that roars in my mind!"

Kusnah's head separated from her body, right after she shouted those words.

Riar Rizaldi
Written while listening to Hulubalang's first album

Original Text:

Kusnah berjalan lamban di tepi gumuk pasir, di sebrang pesisir pantai. Di sini lebih aman pikirnya. Di garis horizon dia melihat hamparan fata morgana. Di pikirannya fata morgana jauh lebih baik sebagai tujuan ketimbang dia harus diam dan menetap di desa: tubuhnya diperlukan untuk persembahan, mungkin buat para dewa-dewa yang haus akan anatomi dan spirit dari human being atau buat pembangunan yang dibangun oleh darah dan konstruksi tulang-tulang. Mungkin juga sebagai tumbal politik. Pikirnya, di tempat dimana politik berkelindan dengan nyawa, disitu dunia betul-betul sedang bekerja.

Sambil menatap nanar tumpukan tiram di pesisir pantai, di kepalanya terdengar musik-musik pesta dengan dentuman nakal dan dawai berantakan. Sebuah umwelt. Lagu-lagu kemenangan yang sering ia putar keras-keras dipikirannya ketika ia merasa kalah. Bukan kalah, tapi mengalah. Dalam hidupnya, terlalu banyak waktu dia bagi untuk mengalah. Dia melihat tumpukan tiram dengan miris. Dia berpikir keras mengapa manusia melihat tiram sebagai makhluk rendahan dibandingkan species lebih advance seperti manusia, oh lebih tepatnya, dia mengingat perkataan Plato bahwa manusia hedonist sama saja dengan seekor tiram. Hidup hanya dalam momen hari ini dan saat ini.

Tapi Kusnah merasa ia adalah manusia hedonist. Dia hidup untuk hari ini dan saat ini. Dia hidup bukan untuk progress. Persetan dengan progress dan pembangunan pikirnya. Dia hidup untuk menikmati waktu. Dia hidup untuk bersenang-senang. Jadi baginya, Plato ada benarnya. Sambil melihat lagi si tiram dengan sangat teliti, lagu-lagu di kepalanya terdengar semakin nyaring. Dia bertanya pada dirinya sendiri: sebagai hewan hedonist yang hanya diam dan menikmati deburan ombak, apakah para tiram ini juga memiliki musik yang berputar dalam tubuhnya dan membuat merasa menang diantara lautan kekalahan?

Tatapan Kusnah semakin intense. Dari belakang terdengar bunyi suara langkah manusia-manusia berlari bergerombolan. Satu, dua, tiga, empat bunyi familiar sepatu lars. Lima, enam, tujuh bunyi derap sendal jepit. Fata morgana di gumuk pasir buyar seketika diterobos gerombolan haus darah. Semakin lama semakin ia dengar samar-samar suara teriakan. "Itu dia orangnya!" terdengar sayup-sayup tapi mengeras. Langkah-langkah itu semakin kencang. Musik di kepala Kusnah pun semakin kencang terdengar. Tak butuh waktu lama hingga ia mulai menari. Seperti orang kesurupan kalau kata banyak orang. Tapi dia tidak kesurupan, dia hanya menikmati musik yang berputar dikepalanya. Berpuluh-puluh orang mulai terlihat secara high-definition ketika Kusnah membuka kelopak matanya.

"Akan kami persembahkan kamu kepada para dewa pembangunan!" teriak para lelaki dengan parang dan golok ditangannya. Kusnah menari seperti kerasukan. "Ayo! Tangkap dia" para lelaki itu bergegas mendatangi Kusnah, membawa tali tambang untuk mengikat dirinya. Kusnah tersenyum lebar, sambil tidak bisa berhenti menari.

"Ambil tubuhku, tapi aku tidak akan pernah membagikan hulubalang yang mengaum di dipikiranku!"

Kepala Kusnah terpisah dari badannya, persis setelah dia meneriakkan kalimat tersebut.

Riar Rizaldi

Ditulis ketika mendengarkan album pertama dari Hulubalang.