We live in a time where there are just as many music genres as artists themselves, well not quite but pretty close. A new age genre, undefined, is being brewed even out here in our backyard, Jakarta. Sawi Lieu’s vision and taste in music are clearly not for everyone, but the fact that his experimentation goes well beyond comprehension must mean he is on to something new, something that we may have never heard before.

That can be decided by you, the listeners, as his Pasaraya sounds as unconventional as they may be is music in it’s purest. Sounds merge in and out with reckless abandon. ‘Circumstellar Life’ greets our ears with a rapid high pitch, best way to put it, noise. Pure noise. But soon develops into a melodic electronic synth heavy song for about a minute, and all the sounds came along into one full track. Needless to say, it’s heavily experimented sounds and structure. Much like the songs on Pasaraya, which according to the official press release, “Lieu’s memories of growing up in Jakarta’s busy streets, and whatever dissonance that conjures. Lieu’s vision is an astonishingly beautiful place to let yourself go.”

Pasaraya was released on July 2, 2013 and can be purchased here. 

All songs and artwork by Sawi Lieu. 

Text by Ray Rahardja