Babon - Desert Rose / TNT [Batov]

Format: 7" limited to 300 copies. 

For their 45 debut on Batov Records, Indonesian duo BABON deliver two irresistible tracks, cooked with a recipe rich in Indonesian flavors, Afro-Latin funk, Morricone-esque grooves, Bollywood breaks, and blues, which they call “Tropical Desert Music”. A must-listen for fans of Surprise Chef, Khruangbin, or Sababa 5.

Drummer Wahyudi T. Raupp and multi-instrumentalist Rayi Raditia, friends since high school in Jakarta and later university classmates in Melbourne, formed BABON in 2023 with the intention of addressing environmental issues through instrumental music, thus uniting two of their passions.

Working in their home studio, free from time pressure, they developed their “Tropical Desert Music” sound, blending the energy and influences of Melbourne's vibrant music scene with traditional Indonesian forms: from the pulsing rhythms of dangdut and gamelan—the ritual percussion ensemble originating from Java and Bali—to keroncong, a popular and melodic folk style. All this while bringing environmental problems and social complexities to the forefront, such as the impact of ruthless exploitation in tropical regions.

On the A-side, “Desert Rose” is a spaghetti blues dedicated to marginalized widows objectified by mining workers. Rayi's electric guitar gently laments with a cinematic effect in the style of a Tarantino soundtrack, over a hypnotic groove that never wears out.

On the B-side, “TNT” explores the moral dilemma of a miner caught between the destructive nature of his trade and the pressing economic need of his family, which leads him into a downward spiral of alcoholism. Gradually building tension, BABON contrasts gloomy organ riffs with bass fuzz and Indonesian-flavored guitar motifs, culminating in a final explosion of guitars and drums.

BABON's "Tropical Desert Music" perfectly complements Batov Records' rich catalog of Middle Eastern grooves, while establishing itself as an irresistible sound with a powerful message.