This week, I made progress on the Kembang Rawe remix but encountered many challenges. I wanted to make sure I was handling the cultural elements of this track with care, especially because it’s a song I grew up listening to at weddings and family events. Involving my family in the feedback process felt important, especially considering my late great grand-aunt was one of the composers of the Indonesian national anthem, Ibu Sud. Her legacy made me want to do this as authentically as possible.
When I first played the remix for my relatives, their response was honest: it sounded too close to the original, more like a re-edit than a true remix. That critique pushed me to rethink the track’s identity. I turned to a niche subgenre I often come across on my TikTok “For You” page, which were dangdut remixes made with sped-up vocals and warped textures, usually made for viral edits or meme videos.
Inspired by this digital folk culture, I started experimenting with tempo shifts, filtered transitions, and layering in street sound samples from the recordings I made with the new mic. The result began to feel more exciting, while still familiar but reimagined through a more modern, digital lens. This moment taught me that tradition and innovation can co-exist when you understand the concept of both.
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