Komang Dewi Interview

Following a sold-out first show at AsiaTOPA as part of SIGNAL Young Creatives Lab, Melbourne soul's 'new-kid- on-the-block' Rosie Clynes aka Komang has finally released her long-awaited debut single 'Dewi'. Endorsed by a mentorship with local electronic powerhouse Sui Zhen and citing Kelsey Lu, Erykah Badu and Little Dragon as her influences, the multidisciplinary producer, performer and vocalist blends soul-based groove and echoes of traditional Gamelan to create vibrant electronic RnB described as 'neo-soul meets Balinese mystic power' and 'Solange with an Indonesian twist'.

Out now through Ditto, 'Dewi' is the first track to be lifted off of Komang's forthcoming EP Mythologies set to be released later in the year. Layering ethereal electronic soul, '90s house-style production and Komang's truly enchanting vocals, 'Dewi' pays homage to motherhood, ancestry, tradition and family in a powerful display of sonic femme energy.

"Touching upon the Balinese belief that we are reborn into our future generations, Dewi is both the Indonesian word for 'goddess' and a common name for women across the archipelago, making it an ode to femme lineage, the strength of wom*nhood and a call to action to be a good ancestor for those to come." - Komang

Formally trained as an actor, Komang's flair for production started while working as a performer and writer in Jakarta's contemporary theatre world. It was there that, entranced by the city's jazz and hip hop community, she began learning to produce her own music, becoming a frequent collaborator with Jakarta's own soul scene (Greybox, Ezra Kunze) before returning back to Melbourne. Earlier this year, Komang turned heads and pricked ears at her sold-out AsiaTOPA show with a night of spoken word performances, dancers, DJs and an Indonesian feast, all curated by Komang herself. The evening celebrated the creation of her forthcoming Mythologies EP, a sonic exploration of her return to Indonesia as an adult - relearning language, traditions and stories.

With more music soon on the horizon, her multidisciplinary vision, ties to community and epic themes of longing and mythology make Komang a definite one to watch for the immediate future.

Interview with Komang

Question: How would you describe your music?

Komang: I'd describe it as neo-soul meets 90's house-style production, with an Indonesian mythological twist!


Question: Can you tell us about Dewi?

Komang: 'Dewi' is my first ever single, and in a lot of ways it feels like I'm having my first kid! I wrote the lyrics after I had a dream about meeting my own child in the future, and so the song itself is about femme lineage, and about learning to be a good ancestor for those to come. I wanted to make the production really 'sparkly' and mysterious to reflect that sense of the surreal and magic.


Question: What inspired your upcoming album Mythologies?

Komang: I began writing the music for Mythologies while I was living in Indonesia over the last couple of years. Half of my family is from there, and so I really wanted to go there to learn how to connect better with my culture. I was struck while living there about the strength of national and cultural mythologies, and decided to make this EP around the idea of creating our own mythologies to guide us.

Question: Is there a particular message you hope listeners take from your music?

Komang: Yes! I suppose it is to stay curious, to play and question things, to never ignore where you came from (even those spaces you find difficult to acknowledge), and to create an authentic, deep sense of yourself that transcends trends or cliché.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Komang: Other artists and the worlds they are able to create. I love being able to disappear into someone else's imagination. When I get stuck I'll watch a movie, or a beautiful music video, or listen deeply to some music I love and remember why I love working with imagination.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Komang: I'm currently listening to a lot of Yussef Dayes and Tom Misch's collaborative jazz album What Kinda Music, as well as a lot of local artists, like Tiana Khasi's Megalaya and Hugh Klein's Quand C'est Mou. Soothing music for lockdown.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Komang: I think it was seeing really genre-bending artists like Solange, FKA Twigs and Blood Orange have such a left-of-centre theatrics vision and still be really celebrated in the mainstream.

Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Komang: Nils Frahm or Erykah Badu.


Question: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

Komang: Yes, that it is dog-eat-dog and 'everyone for themselves'. I'm sure that mentality exists somewhere, but the support and sense of community I've experienced with other musicians and industry people so far has been very soulful and kind.


Question: What is the biggest challenge you have faced along the way to your musical success?

Komang: My own inner critic. Often it's my own self I have to get past when I sit down to produce a new track, or write lyrics, or reach out to another creative to collaborate or connect.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Komang: It's lockdown, baby! I always try to start my day with half an hour of journaling over coffee. It's my daily commitment to looking after my mental health. Then I usually have some work to do (I work for an online platform for First Nations, Black and artists of colour called @creativesofcolourau). After that I'll work on music stuff - admin, emails and so on. If I have time I'll then sit at my little home studio desk and work on a track. I'll try and ride my bike along Merri creek too most days. Evenings I spend cooking with my housemates, having a glass of wine and listening to records together.


Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist so far?
Komang: I'm still so new so I think there's a lot to keep discovering and loving. So far it's been the interactivity and sense of community. Before music I had a career in theatre, and the theatre community is so niche, so small. But everyone listens to music - it feels like you're part of something much bigger, both as a fan and as a performer.


Question: What's next, for you?

Komang: The 'Dewi' music video will be coming out in a couple of weeks, then after that, making my way slowly to releasing the Mythologies EP!


Question: Can you share your socials? (links please)

Komang: Instagram

Facebook 


Interview by Gwen van Montfort