Jogja Noise Bombing (JNB for short) brings together sound, art, and community in a fresh and exciting way. Rather than sticking to tradition, it combines experimental music, street culture, and the city’s creative energy. From Java’s classic gamelan to the underground noise scene, JNB brings something new to Yogyakarta’s culture and challenges the usual limits of music and art.
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Jogja Noise Bombing began around 2009 or 2010, when local labels like Ear Alert Records (run by Wednes Mandra of Rabu) and Pati Rasa Records (run by Hilman Fathoni) in Yogyakarta teamed up with young sound artists who wanted something more experimental than mainstream music. Martinus Indra Herwaman, popularly known as Indra Menus, the man behind Jogja Noise Bombing, came from the city’s punk scenes and began experimenting with self-built new sounds.
What’s Jogja Noise Bombing?
In this context, “noise bombing” is about performing experimental sound shows, often in surprising public places. These events are loud and immersive, using amplifiers, atonal noise, ambient sounds, and self-built electronics. The Jogja Noise Bombing group describes itself as an “Open community for noise artists from around Yogyakarta”.
The name comes from combining graffiti “bombing,” a form of illegal street art, with sound. “It’s in the same logic as graffiti bombing. While graffiti bombing vandalises the space with spray paint, we vandalise the space with noise,” said Menus on jogjasonicindex.com. Early shows were like guerrilla gigs—unplanned, held on the street, and powered by electricity from parked motorbikes for small amplifiers.
JNB takes back public spaces, treats noise as art rather than just disruption, and celebrates the freedom to create sound. In a city known for refined arts like wayang, batik, and gamelan, the movement is raw, intense, and highly experimental. Over time, it has shifted from secret gigs to more organized events.
What began as a seasonal event has now become an annual festival, featuring workshops, exhibitions, and collaborations with indie artists from around the world.
From a Community Movement into an Annual Festival
The underground collective noise sessions that started on Yogyakarta’s streets have turned into a major annual event called the Jogja Noise Bombing Fest. This growth shows that the movement has expanded while still keeping its focus on experimental sound and community.
The first large festival happened around 2015. By 2024, the event featured about 30 acts from 11 countries, showing its impressive growth. The festival usually offers concerts, late-night shows, public performances, workshops, DIY electronics sessions, and exhibitions and films about sound art and noise culture.
For example, during 9-11 May 2025, the festival featured street noise bombing, spatial sound concerts, and discussion events as part of the community’s activities. As the movement shifted from guerrilla shows to organized festival events, it became more visible and accepted, while still maintaining its bold spirit. The festival is more than just a show; it continues the idea of “noise as art, noise as intervention.”
In a city with a rich artistic history, Jogja Noise Bombing stands out as a bold and lively way to explore sound and space. From its early street gigs to its annual festival, it invites both artists and curious listeners to experience the power of noise and creative freedom. If you want to learn more, follow @jogjanoiseclub, the community’s official account.