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Trance Against the Machine : Transpositions of Aesthetics in Indonesian Electronic Music

Groth, Sanne Krogh LU orcid and Bubandt, Nils (2025) In Resonance: The Journal of Sound and Culture 6(2). p.125-148
Abstract
This article explores the musical performances, aesthetics, and multi-situated reception of the Indonesian electronic dance music in Europe and Indonesia, focusing on the duo Gabber Modus Operandi (GMO). Since their first international tour entitled “Trance Against the Machine” in 2019, the duo has gained significant attention, especially in Europe, because they are seen as part of a “seismic shift” in the electronic dance continuum. The article critically analyzes this perceived shift in relation to GMO’s music. It advocates for a mode of analysis that simultaneously traces the situated and the multi-situated nature of aesthetics in electronic music. This analysis is inspired by an ethnographic theory developed in collaboration with the... (More)
This article explores the musical performances, aesthetics, and multi-situated reception of the Indonesian electronic dance music in Europe and Indonesia, focusing on the duo Gabber Modus Operandi (GMO). Since their first international tour entitled “Trance Against the Machine” in 2019, the duo has gained significant attention, especially in Europe, because they are seen as part of a “seismic shift” in the electronic dance continuum. The article critically analyzes this perceived shift in relation to GMO’s music. It advocates for a mode of analysis that simultaneously traces the situated and the multi-situated nature of aesthetics in electronic music. This analysis is inspired by an ethnographic theory developed in collaboration with the artists we study. We propose the term “transposition” as a translation of the Indonesian term alay, used by the members of GMO to describe their aesthetic vision, in order to pay attention to what might be called “aesthetic globalization” as both situated and multi-situated. We do so as part of an “aesthetic-anthropological” approach that seeks to bring aesthetic analysis into anthropology and anthropology into aesthetic analysis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Java-futurism, java futurism, alay, post-alay, electronic music, electronic dance music, transpostition, multi-situatedness, Gabber Modus Operandi, decolonial aesthetics, aesthetic-anthropological analys, critique of world music, multi-situated aesthetics
in
Resonance: The Journal of Sound and Culture
volume
6
issue
2
pages
23 pages
publisher
University of California Press
ISSN
2688-867X
DOI
10.1525/res.2025.6.2.125
project
Java-Futurism: Chronotopes of Sound Activism in Indonesia
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Published as Sanne Krogh Groth, Nils Bubandt; Trance Against the Machine: Transpositions of Aesthetics in Indonesian Electronic Music and Beyond. Resonance 1 June 2025; 6 (2): 125–148. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/res.2025.6.2.125. © 2025 by the Regents of the University of California/. Copying and permissions notice: Authorization to copy this content beyond fair use (as specified in Sections 107 and 108 of the U. S. Copyright Law) for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by the Regents of the University of California for libraries and other users, provided that they are registered with and pay the specified fee via Rightslink® or directly with the Copyright Clearance Center.
id
c910e765-2f41-42f3-9c4f-bbfbd514aac9
date added to LUP
2023-08-09 12:12:45
date last changed
2025-06-02 17:45:52
@article{c910e765-2f41-42f3-9c4f-bbfbd514aac9,
  abstract     = {{This article explores the musical performances, aesthetics, and multi-situated reception of the Indonesian electronic dance music in Europe and Indonesia, focusing on the duo Gabber Modus Operandi (GMO). Since their first international tour entitled “Trance Against the Machine” in 2019, the duo has gained significant attention, especially in Europe, because they are seen as part of a “seismic shift” in the electronic dance continuum. The article critically analyzes this perceived shift in relation to GMO’s music. It advocates for a mode of analysis that simultaneously traces the situated and the multi-situated nature of aesthetics in electronic music. This analysis is inspired by an ethnographic theory developed in collaboration with the artists we study. We propose the term “transposition” as a translation of the Indonesian term alay, used by the members of GMO to describe their aesthetic vision, in order to pay attention to what might be called “aesthetic globalization” as both situated and multi-situated. We do so as part of an “aesthetic-anthropological” approach that seeks to bring aesthetic analysis into anthropology and anthropology into aesthetic analysis.}},
  author       = {{Groth, Sanne Krogh and Bubandt, Nils}},
  issn         = {{2688-867X}},
  keywords     = {{Java-futurism; java futurism; alay; post-alay; electronic music; electronic dance music; transpostition; multi-situatedness; Gabber Modus Operandi; decolonial aesthetics; aesthetic-anthropological analys; critique of world music; multi-situated aesthetics}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{125--148}},
  publisher    = {{University of California Press}},
  series       = {{Resonance: The Journal of Sound and Culture}},
  title        = {{Trance Against the Machine : Transpositions of Aesthetics in Indonesian Electronic Music}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/220319249/res.2025.6.2.125.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1525/res.2025.6.2.125}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}