The Jakarta dream pop group talks remix approach, inspiring settings, and performances
With the spring in full effect, some listeners will be diving into playful sounds. On top of that, electronic-dreamwave may be the best outlet this year for those feelings. Strange Fruit, hailing from Jakarta, offers music fans a window into an arena full of sounds that capture a sort of rebirth. With the release of their EP Drips, listeners will fully grasp the elements they create.
Key track “Pouvoir Moteur” is a twinkling invite into the body. It is perfectly catchy to the casual music fan, whose curiosity is suddenly highlighted. Blips and the ethereal vocals then soften the tune to a mantra that holds. It almost feels like an intimate jam session that listeners have stumbled upon with surprise. They are welcome but still wary as they step in. Uncomfortable moments are punctuated with static breaks that allow the ears to recalibrate and then settle back. It is an ideal track to approach Strange Fruit and the bounty they carry. Musicians of the collective: Baldi Calvianca, John Tampubolon, Irza Aryadiaz, Dino Kristianto and Nabil Favian, added on to their new work:
Drips is full of original renditions and remixes. What is the experience of playing around with sounds like this? Any specific memories?
Baldi Calvianca: What really stands out is the time during the pandemic, when we were mostly at home and had the space to slow down. We spent a lot of time revisiting old demos, experimenting with synthesizers, and just playing freely with ideas. That period gave us the chance to explore sounds more deeply and take them further than we normally would.
John Tampubolon: It feels fun. After being apart from the members for a few years, we tried to figure out how we should sound, and there was a lot of experimenting through trial and error. But the process has been really fun, with lots of new experiences to gain and make our own.
Irza Aryadiaz: During the pandemic, Baldi and I spent a lot of time in the studio. We often made songs. The structure was already in our heads, but we couldn’t bring it out. In the end, they only became demos. so many of them, maybe over 30 tracks.
What visuals do you use to gain inspiration for tracks? Do you go to museums, hike in nature or is it something else?
Baldi Calvianca: Meditate.
John Tampubolon: Well, I live in the middle of the city, so practically the cityscape is the only thing I enjoy. But while we were producing, I was in the middle of reading books, and there is one particular book that I read that inspired me : Rick Rubin – The Creative Act: A Way of Being book.
Dino Kristianto: The beach is where everything resets for me. There’s a moment in Monopolar waves breaking hard against the rocks that image sticks in my head. It’s raw, loud, and honest. Whenever I need clarity, I go back to that feeling: standing there, hearing the waves hit the reef, watching the sun drop. It cuts through the noise and brings me back to what matters.
Irza Aryadiaz: When I get bored in the studio, I go to the supermarket and cook. I get a lot of inspiration from food. Cooking & mixing, different things, same state of mind.
Where is your ideal place to perform or create music and why?
Baldi Calvianca: Vast and immersive space. something like a large hall filled with light and haze—where the atmosphere feels almost otherworldly and the focus shifts entirely to the music and visuals, rather than the performers themselves.
John Tampubolon: To perform, I think local bars with intimate settings are what I like the most, lots of good energy and support from friends and familiar faces, with warm chatter and laughter. To create, in my own studio.
Irza Aryadiaz: Anywhere with a decent crowd and a proper sound system.
Who would you like to play with in the future, and why?
Baldi Calvianca: Aphex Twin. Richard’s work has this rare balance of unpredictability and precision. His unconventional song structures and intricate, often surprising drum patterns consistently challenge what electronic music can be, and that kind of creative fearlessness is incredibly inspiring to me.
Nabil Favian: I recently went to a My Bloody Valentine concert and they were LOUD. I’d be eager to experience what it’s like to be able to produce such energy with the likes of them.
Irza Aryadiaz: I’ve been listening to Oneohtrix Point Never, Seefeel, and Brian Eno. They’re incredible, I’d love to collaborate with producers like them one day.
What advice would you give musicians eager to enter the space today that you wish you had known?
Baldi Calvianca: Rock n Roll now or never.
