S/T

TAKKAK TAKKAK is a new, eccentric, and pulsating project full of unpredictable polyrhythms and DIY drones. Behind this project is Japanese producer Shigeru Ishihara (known as Scotch Rolex), residing in Berlin, and composer and instrument creator J Mo’ong Santoso Pribadi, living in Vilnius, known as half of the duo Raja Kirik. The duo combines their boundless passion for rhythm, hence their humorous, onomatopoeic name, and has undertaken the task of “hacking” contemporary and traditional music by blending sharp club sounds with intricate Asian rhythmic patterns and wailing vocals. Although influences from various parts of the musical map can be heard, Ishihara and Pribadi capture a sound that is consistently unconventional.

In recent years, Ishihara has obsessively produced and collaborated with other artists—he worked with Shackleton on the 2024 album “Three Hands of Doom,” gathered musicians from the Nyege stable for the 2021 album “Tewari,” and created beats for diverse artists like Duma, MC Yallah, and Aunty Razor. Meanwhile, Pribadi has developed his skills alongside Yennu Ariendra, creating music that originally fights against colonial oppression by modernizing medieval forms of Javanese dance. As a creator of experimental instruments, mainly using found objects and waste, Pribadi fits perfectly into the Takkak Takkak project, where he, alongside Ishihara, creates rhythmic patterns that induce trance, deep rumblings, and stunning effects, surrounded by rusty string sounds, wooden block knocks, and xenoharmonic bells.

In the opening track of the album (Dedemit), rough, variable percussion spirals into a whirlwind of brass fanfares and deep subs, building tension until interrupted by a playful signal from an answering machine. This leads into the next track (Garang), with a punk, metallic vibe reminiscent of guitar squeals, hazy vocals, and flexible strings enveloping strong drum hits—here, influences of gqom, drill, and heated techno are transformed into jagged, ritualistic noise. Ishihara also takes the microphone, murmuring over Pribadi’s noisy beats and handmade instruments, as the music transforms into a hybrid of gamelan and bass sounds, where pneumatic drum hits vibrate in a ringing metal environment.

Takkak Takkak is an impressive balancing act; the duo navigates their intercontinental palette not only with knowledge and skill but also with a refreshing sense of humor. This makes their music as infectious as it is bold—experimental, yes, but Pribadi and Ishihara are having a great time, and they don’t care whether anyone likes it or not.