Not a Gurindam: Deconstructing Malay Poetics through Electroacoustic Practice
Not a Gurindam: Deconstructing Malay Poetics through Electroacoustic Practice explores the transformation of Malay poetic traditions through contemporary electroacoustic composition. The work takes Gurindam Dua Belas, written by Raja Ali Haji in the nineteenth century within the Riau-Lingga cultural sphere, as its primary point of departure.
Rather than treating gurindam as a fixed literary form, the work deconstructs its textual, rhythmic and semantic elements and reimagines them through sound. Voice, field recordings, instrumental materials and electronic processing are fragmented, layered, repeated, distorted and spatialised to create an evolving sonic environment. Language thus becomes not only a carrier of meaning but also material for sonic exploration.
The work examines how historical poetic knowledge can be displaced from its original context and reconstructed through contemporary listening practices, considering the tension between preservation and transformation. By bringing poetry, sound, space and performance into dialogue, Not a Gurindam approaches Malay poetic heritage not as a static cultural artefact, but as living material that can be continuously questioned, transformed and reimagined through contemporary artistic practice.
Hery Kristian Buana Tanjung
Hery Kristian Buana Tanjung is an Indonesian contemporary composer and interdisciplinary artist whose practice explores electroacoustic music, field recording, traditional cultural materials and contemporary performance. He holds a Master of Arts in Music Composition and Artistic Creation from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta.
His practice transforms cultural memory, traditional musical practices and environmental sound into contemporary sonic experiences. His works have been presented internationally at platforms including BEAST FEaST, MUSLAB, WOCMAT, SonicMatter, the Asia-Pacific Improvisers Symposium and Performers(’) Present. He frequently collaborates across disciplines, developing works that connect sound, movement, space and narrative. His current practice investigates electroacoustic composition as a means of engaging with Indonesian cultural heritage and contemporary social and environmental contexts.
Yayasan Bintan Resorts