Hailing from West Java, Indonesia, ENSEMBLE TIKORO will release “Tortoise” on October 23 via Jangjang Records. The album brings traditional ritual instruments together with extreme metal vocals and throat singing. The full-length is now streaming ahead of its release via The Sleeping Shaman.

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At the heart of ENSEMBLE TIKORO’s musical approach is the fusion of vocal techniques drawn from death metal, black metal, thrash metal, hardcore and punk with traditional throat singing. On “Tortoise,” these vocal techniques are accompanied by singing bowls, shaman drums and tingsha cymbals used in Tibetan rituals.

The complete three-part performance does not appear on the album. While Part 1 is reserved exclusively for live performances, the recording features Parts 2 and 3. Part 2 consists of seven short pieces interpreting the seven chakras, combining extended vocal techniques with singing bowls and shaman drums. Part 3 incorporates these elements alongside tingsha cymbals.

ENSEMBLE TIKORO founder Robi Rusdiana says he dedicates the album to everyone who cares about mental health. While acknowledging that recorded music can lose some of the sonic dimensions that emerge during live performances, Rusdiana emphasizes that listeners do not need to fit the work into a single, definitive interpretation. He encourages listeners to approach the experience with slow, steady breaths and makes it clear that there is no expectation for everyone to understand or enjoy the work in the same way.

Founded in 2012, ENSEMBLE TIKORO has created more than 50 works for dance, theater, visual art and experimental projects. Comprising musicians from Bandung’s underground metal scene, the collective combines its contemporary musical approach with traditional elements of Sundanese culture. In 2021, the group also collaborated with Melbourne-based contemporary dance company Lucy Guerin Inc. Its previous album, “Hell Chamber,” was released in 2024 through Italian label Artetetra Records.

“Tortoise” will be released on cassette and in digital formats by Jangjang Records. The album was recorded at Pilarin Corp by Ade Syaepudin, mixed and mastered by Robi Rusdiana, and features artwork by Tandani Mutaqim.

The previously released video for ‘Throat’ offers another glimpse into the group’s unconventional vocal approach.

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