- Gabber with a twist.
- Gabber Modus Operandi might be an intimidating name, but it doesn't reflect the full scope of the Indonesian duo Kasimyn and Icam Harem's project. There's gabber, sure, but they forge an intense sound with a dizzying number of reference points, from happy hardcore to Indonesian folk (dangdut) and ritual music (jathilan). It can be pulverizing, uplifting and terrifying, sometimes all at once. HOXXXYA, their first release for the increasingly essential SVBKVLT label, outlines their sound's extremes.
On tracks like "Padang Galaxxx," which speeds up past 200 BPM, and "Kon," the drums are nimble. That's the key to the duo's music, which is fast and heavy but rarely bludgeons. Take "Semeton 10 Ton." It's the funkiest and heaviest track, switching from an almost reggaeton lilt to a gabber thrust with blasts of militaristic horns in between.
The instrumentation encompasses various traditional instruments from woodwinds to strings, which also lends the group's style of gabber an unusual flavour. Several of the songs reference Indonesian culture, including the demon "Genderuwo" and the folklore witch "Calon Arang." The closer, "Sangkakala III," is the latest in a series of Gabber Modus Operandi tracks that use a conch shell like a trumpet. It's among the group's most alluring and approachable songs.
Tracklist01. Genderuwo
02. Semeton 10 Ton
03. Kon
04. Tekyan
05. Trance Adiluhunxxx
06. Calon Arang
07. Padang Galaxxx
08. Sangkakala III