We’re thrilled to welcome Saodor Ensemble (
@saodorensemble ), supported by the Ministry of Culture Indonesia funding (Dana Indonesiana)
@kemenkebud @fadlizon , to this year’s undercurrent Festival! Their work expands the festival’s sonic and performative horizons with a powerful piece: 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘯.
𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘯’s work is inspired by the Andung tradition, a death ritual of the Toba Batak tribe in North Sumatra, Indonesia, where grief is expressed through the chanting of a poem.
𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘯 transforms these ancestral lamentations into a striking new chamber format — blending voice, Bataknese sulim (bamboo flute), Taganing (North Sumatra Drums), prepared piano, and live electronic processing. Tradition and technology meet in a circular, immersive performance that invites us to reflect on grief, loss, spirituality, and collective memory.
Founded in 2022, Saodor Ensemble is a contemporary Indonesian music collective dedicated to reimagining ancestral music heritage through experimental performance practices. The ensemble focuses on the musical traditions of Batak Toba—an Indigenous culture from North Sumatra whose soundscapes remain vastly underrepresented in the global art scene. By integrating oral lamentation, spiritual ritual, and traditional instrumentation with contemporary technologies and composition, they cultivate a bold, evolving neo-traditional practice.
Upcoming at undercurrent ESEA Performance and Sound Art Festival
🗓️13 September 2025
📍Copeland Gallery, London
@copelandparkse
Saodor Ensemble, 𝘓𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘯, live performance, 2025
🎟️ Tickets via link in bio
Courtesy of Saodor Ensemble
@saodorensemble