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HELL_O
2021!

ARYATI

Aryati is a contemporary theater piece that juxtaposes the life of Aryati, a woman from the Tugu village, with the evolution of the keroncong music, faced against the backdrop of Indonesian history. The work presents the decolonization process of keroncong music starting in 1920 into 1990, from a colonial product into a claimed native cultural heritage. It is initiated by Ariel William Orah, Rizki Resa Utama, and Bilawa Ade Respati for a collaboration with an ensemble of semiprofessionals/amateur performers.

KIAMAT

Kiamat is a multisensory theatrical performance by the collective L_KW and Soydivision. The piece is inspired by an album  from  the Indonesian experimental music duo, Senyawa. Kiamat (Day of Judgement), one of the album compositions, becomes the central theme of this piece. We pose the question of how one copes with it: through the supernatural or the scientific? It derives an artistic approach drawing inspiration from the Indonesian Wayang Orang and the German expressionism films, which embodied the aforementioned contrasting approach. Through this performance, two cultures and world views meet a common threat.

KAUM 

“FILM&PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL”
Concept and Orga : Asarela Dewi, Gugi Gumilang, Monica Tedja, Ariel Orah
May 2021

During this pandemic, the underrepresented Indonesian collective in Berlin has become increasingly concerned that culture is not receiving a high priority from society and government. Beginning with this concern, Soydivision is committed to no longer remaining silent and is therefore conceiving a
seven-day alternative festival in Berlin. Planned for May 2021 in District - Malzfabrik, the festival's concept is to bring performing arts and films together to voice this concern and address marginal issues.

With the main theme of "DARE" divided into different categories such as sexuality, gender equality, racism and also environment, the festival hopes to represent Indonesian minority groups in the West and give them a platform for their voice and power. From film screenings that gives a space for Indonesian filmmakers and their concerns, to performing arts that gives a space for Indonesian diasporas and their perspective, Soydivision aims to construct an alternative path with a new innovative direction for the new audience.

KAUM Indonesian Alternative Performance & Film Festival is a movement that invites and thereby challenges both its participants and audiences to leave their own comfort zone and instead learn together to share an empathy with the others.

ALKISAH 

Vinyl, Cassette in collaboration with Senyawa, L_KW, Morphine Records
Concept and Orga : Morgan Sully and Ariel William

On February 21st, 2021 L_KW and Soydivision will be joining a global group of 35+ record labels to co-release Indonesian experimental duo Senyawa’s new album, Alkisah. 

Paying homage to the vast archipelago of traditional musics from Indonesia and fusing it with uncompromising experimental improvisation, Senyawa has spent the past decade galvanizing the efforts of smaller collectives, businesses and labels to decentralize distribution and release of Alkisah. 

All labels involved are free to determine their own packaging and design for the album, develop their own merchandise, and even remaster and remix the tracks to their heart’s content.

The story of Alkisah itself, - roughly translated to ‘once upon a time’ - tells the tale of a once proud kingdom collapsing in on itself.  Rampant abuses of power, the corruption of human character, and the decaying of our planet have all brought about our final Judgement Day - Kiamat.  What happens now that the apocalypse has arrived?

For their part, Soydivision and L_KW will be partnering to release a special edition vinyl album, bundled with Alkisah-themed sambal and jamu from Berlin, Germany.  Working with Rabih Beani (from Morphine Records) on distribution and PUSHSTANDART to develop the packaging, the cover will be made from 100% recycled and biodegradable carton and each will be silkscreen-printed by hand using a color paste made from Indonesian ingredients of curcuma, rice meal and kecap manis.

A special set of remixes from Berlin-based friends of Soydivision will also be produced and released on cassette and digital.

Pre-album activities will include a special pre-order before Christmas as well as a COVID-safe, tumpeng listening ceremony for artists remixing the album in January. 

After the official release of the album in February, Soydivision and L_KW will also produce a theater piece entitled KIAMAT as a collective response to the album’s urgent themes of climate collapse, facism and political corruption.

With several musical theater pieces conceived and performed, multiple international tours and an ever-expanding string of musical performances, empathy suppers and growing ensemble of artists in the Berlin-based Indonesian collective, Soydivision is well-poised and excited to work on releasing Alkisah. L_KW - the sister label of Soydivision - will be handling online sales, marketing and remixes for the project.

Pre-orders for the album begin on Dec. 24th and can be ordered from https://alkisah.soydivision.berlin.  Vinyl will begin shipping February 22nd.  Dates for the upcoming performances will be posted on Soydivision’s Instagram and website where interested parties can sign up.