The popular music identity in Indonesia is inseparable from the influence of political power, especially Western colonialism. One of the biggest effects was a defensive principle to protect the authenticity of traditional music, which in turn helped create an attitude that good modern music must be in accordance with the value system of the West. Since Independence, musicians and music academics have tried to create new forms of music that have a strong traditional character. Wok will present a glimpse of the current contemporary music from Indonesia which is redefining local tuning systems, spirits, and gestures in a new direction and radical approaches.
Wok The Rock is an artist active across the fields of visual, sound, and social. He is interested in developing collaborative, experimental, and interdisciplinary works to bring together diverse artistic practices in an equal, open-access, and sustainable way. Wok is a co-founder of the artist collective Ruang MES 56 in Yogyakarta and runs the music label Yes No Wave Music. He was the curator of Biennale Jogja XIII in 2015 and Nusasonic 2019-2023.