A tremendous lineup of thunderous descends on Festsaal Kreuzberg.

US noise rock band Lightning Bolt have churned out roaring recordings and delivered maniacal performances for two decades now. Known for confrontational performances, Lightning Bolt revolutionized underground rock in immeasurable ways. Throughout their rising fame, they’ve consistently maintained their own indie and unpretentious path, focusing on concerts that bring together artist and audience through sonic pandemonium.

Best known for his powerful vocals as part of duo Senyawa, Rully Shabara will appear with his new project, Setabuhan. Comprised solely of percussion (drummers Ramberto Agozalie and Caesarking), and Shabara’s voice, the project is a modern reinvention of tribal trance. They take inspiration from the monotonous, interlocking beats of the ancient Central Sulawesian animistic ritual, Balia. The ritual focuses on healing people possessed by evil spirits, exorcising and appeasing the spirit through repetition, dance, and movement. Their performances are accompanied by displays of martial arts – the project does not promote violence, but rather proposes cathartic ways of managing aggression via the release of raw energy.

A huge thank you to the Indonesian and German Pencak Silat practitioners that agreed to join Setabuhan on stage, to Bongkot Harimau Berlin and the German Pencak Silat Union PSUD. 

Setabuhan appear as part of Nusasonic, an initiative of Goethe-Institut Southeast Asia that is collaboratively curated by Yes No Wave (Yogyakarta), WSK Festival of the Recently Possible (Manila), Playfreely/Black Kaji (Singapore), and CTM Festival (Berlin).