NUSANTARA BEAT Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Back here by popular demand, Les Disques Bongo Joe presents a fresh 7" release from Amsterdam's Nusantara Beat featuring, for the first time on wax, the infectious digital single 'Mang Becak' alongside a brand new and unreleased track. Marking their third collaboration with the label, the band reimagines two treasures of Indonesian music and merges their traditional rhythms with a modern edge that masterfully bridges the past and present. 'Sifat Manusa' has Indonesian vocals bringing sunny disposition and real soul over funky and jazzy drums. 'Mang Becak' is a funky groove with plenty of guitars that range from psyched out to more playful.

Review: The brilliant Nusantara Beat are back again with more gold on this new 7" via Bongo Joe Records. It comes after the success of this labels lasting project, Djanger/Borondong Garing, with Lamunai Records and again fuses modern-sounding grooves with more traditional Indonesian vibes. In fact, the A-side here is a love song from Indonesia during the 70s so is steamy to say the least with hints of psychedelic-folk and trip-hop. The other track, 'Kota Bandung', echoes the cultural variant of the Sundanese capital city with lush melodies and rich harmonies as well as a catchy beat.