Barasuara

Formed in Jakarta in 2012 by vocalist-guitarist Iga Massardi, lead axeman Tj Kusuma, jazz guitarist-turned-bassist Gerald Situmorang, hotshot drummer/aspiring pop producer Marco Steffiano, and budding singer-songwriters Asteriska and Puti Chitara, Barasuara took the Indonesian music scene by storm upon the 2015 release of their aptly-titled debut album Taifun. Euphoric live performances and anthemic songs such as “Api dan Lentera” and “Bahas Bahasa” led to numerous accolades, major festival appearances in Indonesia and abroad, and even an opening slot for Tame Impala in 2016.

2019’s sophomore effort Pikiran dan Perjalanan had its share of sterling moments, including “Guna Manusia” and the title track. The latter also became a creative exercise for each band member to produce their own versions of the song, which were then compiled as the PQ-Race dan Perjalanan EP.

In the midst of the pandemic Barasuara began work on their third album, with one-off single “Bangkit Dan Berlari” winning them another AMI Award in 2021. Following a prolonged gestation period, Jalaran Sadrah was released in 2024 to rave reviews with its broader musical palette - including orchestral arrangements by the maestro Erwin Gutawa - and darker lyrics tackling mortality, disinformation and disillusionment. Lead single “Fatalis” earned the band yet another AMI Award 2023, with another three nominations following the album’s release. Twelve years later, Barasuara remain a musical force to reckon with.