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#gabbermodusoperandi #vinyl #vinylrecords
The 2021 reissue of Gabber Modus Operandi’s groundbreaking album PUXXXIMAXXX serves as a reminder of the duo’s unique approach to electronic music, blending traditional Indonesian elements with the raw energy of global rave culture. Originally released in 2018, this album by Ican Harem and DJ Kasimyn (Aditya Surya Taruna) challenges the boundaries of genre, creating a soundscape that is both chaotic and cohesive. The reissue, through Aisha Devi’s Danse Noire label, introduces a wider audience to the duo’s audacious blend of Balinese gamelan, breakcore, and gabber—a mix that’s as culturally significant as it is sonically adventurous.
Hailing from Bali, where mainstream house and techno dominate the music scene, Gabber Modus Operandi (GMO) stands as a bold outlier. The duo’s sound is a product of the globalized internet age, where local traditions merge with international influences to create something entirely new. PUXXXIMAXXX draws on a wide array of inspirations—from the hard-hitting beats of European gabber to the rich textures of traditional Indonesian gamelan music. The album’s track “Sangkakala I” opens with high-pitched trumpet loops, setting the tone for a relentless auditory experience that includes 400bpm kicks and intricate, ritualistic beats.
The album’s eclectic nature is not just a sonic experiment but also a cultural statement. By incorporating elements of Javanese jathilan possession dances and Indonesian funkot, GMO crafts a post-colonial narrative that challenges Western-centric views of electronic music. The music video for “Dosa Besar,” which features a montage of these traditional dances, exemplifies the duo’s commitment to celebrating and recontextualizing their cultural heritage within a modern, global framework. Their sound has been described as ‘post-alay,’ a nod to the Indonesian youth culture that embraces its identity without seeking validation from the West.
Following PUXXXIMAXXX, Gabber Modus Operandi continued to push boundaries with their 2019 EP HOXXXYA, released on Shanghai’s SVBKVLT label, which solidified their international presence. The duo’s fearless approach to music-making has earned them spots at prestigious festivals like Berlin’s CTM and Uganda’s Nyege Nyege. This reissue not only revisits the raw, unfiltered energy of PUXXXIMAXXX but also reaffirms the duo’s place as vanguards in the global electronic music scene. By intertwining local and global influences, Gabber Modus Operandi continues to defy genre conventions, creating a sound that is both uniquely their own and resonant across cultural boundaries.
