ENSEMBLE TIKORO, an a cappella choir of metal vocalists from Bandung, West Java, will release their album "Tortoise" on October 23 via the new Indonesian label Jangjang. Lead track "Tortoise Part 2 – Root" is streaming now.
The group's name means "Throat Ensemble" in Sundanese, and the description is literal. Founded in 2012 by Robi Rusdiana, ENSEMBLE TIKORO are metalheads from the Bandung underground who work with extended vocal technique — death metal, black metal, thrash and hardcore vocals fused with throat singing — arranged as contemporary composition with classical notation and threaded with traditional Sundanese elements. No guitars, no bass: the heaviness is entirely human.
The band have produced more than fifty works for dance, theatre, visual art and experimental projects. In 2021 they collaborated with Melbourne modern dance company Lucy Guerin Inc, setting extreme metal vocals and throat singing against contemporary Australian dance. Their album "Hell Chamber" followed in 2024 on the Italian label Artetetra Records.
"Tortoise" premiered as a performance piece in 2026, adding singing bowls, shaman drums and tingsha — Tibetan ritual cymbals — to the voices. Part 1 exists only live; Parts 2 and 3 are what the album captures. Part 2 is seven short pieces interpreting the seven chakras, one per track, and Part 3 closes the record.
The group's motto, "And contemporary music for all," is a nod to METALLICA.
Jangjang — Sundanese for "wing" — was launched by J. R. Fritsch, who ran the cult Baltimore avant-garde label Public Guilt from 2004 to 2010, releasing close to three dozen titles from DÄLEK, ALUK TODOLO, DARSOMBRA, DESTRUCTO SWARMBOTS, TREPHINE, CREAM ABDUL BABAR, KORPERSCHWACHE and ALA MUERTE. Based in Indonesia for several years now, Fritsch built Jangjang to run traffic in both directions: bringing international titles to Indonesia for the first time, starting with releases from B L A C K I E, DÄLEK and Mare LaMacchia, and sending Indonesian artists out to the rest of the world. "Tortoise" is the label's first release of the latter kind.
"Tortoise" was recorded at Pilarin Corp by Ade Syaepudin, mixed and mastered at 7 Kerikil by Robi Rusdiana, with artwork by Tandani Mutaqim.
Tortoise tracklisting:
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Root"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Sacred"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Solar Plexus"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Heart"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Throat"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Third Eye"
- "Tortoise Part 2 – Crown"
- "Tortoise Part 3"
ENSEMBLE TIKORO:
- Arum Dwi Hanantoro — vocals, singing bowl
- Ardyansah — vocals, singing bowl
- Handriansyah Nugraha — vocals, singing bowl
- Mahatma Adi Hartoko — vocals, tingsha
- Robi Rusdiana — vocals, shaman drum
"Tortoise" is available to pre-order on Bandcamp.