Baskara Putra, stage name Hindia, appears in a promotional photo for his mixtape ‘Doves, '25 on Blank Canvas’, released on Feb 24, 2025. - Courtesy of Meidiana Tahir
JAKARTA: Sometimes, a record can make an unprecedented splash without so much as fanfare. This is what is happening with Doves, '25 on Blank Canvas, a mixtape that, in less than 48 hours since its digital release and without any prerelease campaign, managed to amass more than a million plays on Spotify alone.
And upon listening closely to what Baskara Putra has to say in this mixtape, he might have indeed managed to both capture and reflect the agony simmering in many Indonesians nowadays. After all, the past few months have not exactly been our country's finest hour.
"I forget the psychological term for it, but Doves, in its entirety, is like an empathy test," said Hindia, the alternative pop moniker of Baskara Putra, during a conversation with The Jakarta Post on Feb 28, five days after the surprise release of his mixtape.
In the West, “mixtape” typically refers to a body of musical works in which an artiste aims to experiment with their sound, not necessarily focus on delivering a commercially viable output. This is also how the AMI Award-winner pretty much defines Doves and the creative spirit behind it.
"This [Doves] is a spontaneous reaction to so many things that have happened in Indonesia, as well as personal turmoil and the kinds of music that my team and I listened to in the past few months," explained Hindia, whose previous studio album Lagipula Hidup Akan Berakhir (Life will end anyway) was released back in July 2023.
He knew that dishing out a mixtape, as opposed to a conventional album, might end up being a subject of debate among local listeners, simply because this format is still considered relatively uncommon.
However, it was this very format that allowed the singer-songwriter to enjoy much wider wiggle room.
"There was freedom, marketing-wise," he said.
"For instance, there was no need to do premarketing stuff. A surprise drop would do."
Described by Hindia as akin to "small talk within a long conversation" due to its extemporaneous nature, Doves was recorded between September and January, during which numerous events occurred in the life of both the musician and the country.
Looking back, there was no single tipping point that eventually pushed him to compose not just one song, but a mixtape containing 16 tracks.
"There were many spectrums," he recalled, "such as anger, grief, disappointment and at the same time, perseverance."
These “spectrums”, emotions that reveal themselves as both fitting and timely with regard to Indonesia’s current state, come through loud and clear in Doves.
Songs like "Perseverance (in the Face of Grief)" and "Letdown" are the artiste’s rallying cry to stand one's ground; something that might strike a chord among youths thanks to a certain hashtag that recently went viral.
"For instance, if we're talking about the #KaburAjaDulu [just flee first] hashtag, I'm very much sympathetic to those who leave the country because of how messy it is. But at the same time, my heart is like, 'How come he's the corrupt one and I'm the one who has to run away?'
Those are two things that could have been discussed differently," he said.
Hindia's pointed observation is sharper than ever in Doves, but this time, in a sonically unexpected twist.
The second track "Hated in the Nation", a title that can be read out phonetically as “hated Indonesian”, takes a jab at modern-day oppression over a breezy, upbeat production.
The combination of sunny melodies and scathing lyricism is both intriguing and infectious. This peculiar energy also exudes from other tracks such as "YAAYO", an electro dance ditty that both seduces and provokes listeners’ empathy for past tragedies like the 2022 Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster.
Hindia has been fascinated by the public response to "YAAYO" so far, especially the emotional dilemma listeners experience.
And then, there are moments when Baskara aches for his cats that have passed.
His insurmountable grief is palpable in the sixth track "Betty", in which he laments: “someday I hope seeing your picture won't be so painful”.
His cats' deaths were also the inspiration behind the title of the mixtape, which he described as "very layered and complex".
"In my religion, doves are often associated with the Holy Spirit, the bringer of the gospel," he explained.
"They symbolize letting go of what's grievous for you. They also symbolise the good news you receive, as well as the good news you deliver."
As Doves progresses, Hindia’s narratives may come across as more unpredictable and hence, more fascinating to follow.
The 11th and 12th tracks, "(Kamis)", or Thursday, and "Anak Itu Belum Pulang" (The child hasn’t come home), speak to the current generation of Indonesians who grew up in the shadows of the May 1998 riots.
"(Kamis)", in particular, is an audio testimony of Maria Catarina Sumarsih, a human rights activist whose son perished in the riots.
Regardless of the public reception of Doves, its streaming rate thus far clearly indicates that Hindia is onto something; and that music, as well as its artistry, speaks for itself. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
