Aryo Adhianto Presents Second Album Titled Zero To Mall

Artwork album Zero Ke Mall from Aryo Adhianto (Ist)

JAKARTA - Pianis Aryo Adhianto has re-launched a new album with the title 'Nol Ke Mol'. This is the second release after the debut album with the title 'Sintasis' was introduced in 2021.

In working on the album, Aryo involved several collaborators who took part, such as you, Tanya Ditaputri, Ican Harem, and Nabil Favian Hilliard.

As for you, you sang in two songs, entitled 'Hiperrealita Cyclus' and Hiperrealita. Aryo mentioned his collaboration with a singer known through the most interesting Bunga music group.

"From the collaborators, the most interesting thing for me is to try to synthesize the pitch and electronic texture of your Bang voice whose characters, for my ears, pure rock and folk. Maybe this has never been done before," said Aryo Adhianto in his statement, Thursday, September 11.

In the song 'Siklus Badminton', Aryo tries to express how malls in Jakarta currently exist and are increasingly growing, even though they have been present since 50 years ago and have been 'attacked' by online shopping systems that have been rife in recent years.

I borrowed the term medusa cycle from the metabolism of a lecherous species that was able to regenerate itself many times, so it was considered not to die. This is reflected in the lyrics I am here... Never die... I serve... Thank you., said Aryo.

I present this satirical as a reflection of the behavior of a generation that wants to continue to be in control of the times, by way of populistism and stunting in order to dwarf those around them. However, however, I (and many other Jakarta residents) still feel comfortable being in the arms of these giants," he continued.

Meanwhile, the Zero Ke Mol album is Aryo's record of mall phenomena in Jakarta that he experienced, felt, and traced himself.

"These accumulated works are not an attempt to string up soundtracks about malls, but rather reflection footage of various events and urban symptoms, which were directly or indirectly born and grew due to the presence of malls," he said.

The framework of Zero's thoughts and creative processes to Mall is inspired by the books of Delirious New York and Junkspace by Rem Koolhaas.

In Zero to Mall, Aryo proposed considering mall trips that intersect with social and cultural events that deserve to be taken into account as factors determining the survival of people in multidimensional landscapes such as the city of Jakarta.

The second album project actually started from a collection of poetry/syair/infographics that I worked on from 2022 and the plan was to print it into a zine at the end of 2024. From these writings, I just got the musical idea and I worked on it to 12 songs," said the composer.

Zero to Mall is compiled with a turning sound design technique and audio sampling from popular culture along with field footage from several iconic malls in Jakarta.

Through the latest album, Aryo invites listeners to participate in this phenomenon through sonic experiences, not spatial practices that are closer to our daily lives.