Nusantara beat
Nusantara beat

LA RECENSIONE

The Amsterdam music scene reveals itself as a melting pot of global sounds with a cosmopolitan and vaguely retro inspiration. Nusantara Beat’s debut album reinforces this impression. Sprouting from Amsterdam’s fertile psych-funk scene, the Indonesian-Dutch ensemble—which includes members of EUT, Jungle by Night, and Altin Gün—blends surf guitars, hypnotic percussion, and sparkling folk textures.

As the title suggests, Nusantara Beat celebrates unity through rhythm. Nusantara, meaning all the islands of Indonesia, is reflected in the album’s dense and interwoven sound, conveying a vibrant sense of union and synchronicity.

Over 11 tracks, the group pays homage to Sundanese musical tradition and the pelog of the gamelan scale, layering these ancient tonalities beneath modern synths, deep and fast-paced bass grooves, and a cinematic soundtrack sensibility.

Nowadays, there’s no shortage of bands drawing from ‘60s-inspired psychedelia, but Nusantara Beat stands apart from the rest. Bands like Khruangbin often move towards lounge and atmospheric music, but this collective instead unleashes sounds with untamed momentum.

There’s a lot of energy here, the kind that invites you to move, rather than to linger in slow-motion rhythms or isolationism.

Much of this energy comes from the interplay between bassist Michael Joshua and drummer Sonny Groeneveld, whose tight and playful chemistry continuously fuels even the most atmospheric moments of the album.

The opening track, Ke Masa Lalu, sets the tone with Caribbean thriller guitars and a tsunami of keyboards. And it perfectly embodies the band’s essence: part surf rock, part mystical séance.

Songs like Bakar venture into nocturnal 007-style electro, whose infectious groove and lush synth interplay evoke the hum of neon lights reflecting on tropical rain.

E facciamoci questo giro, c'e gente che balla in spiaggia con il psyco pop da camera asiatico.