Watch a music video from Indonesian artist Munir directed by Aaron “Airbear” Choe.

As the year winds down, we’re continuing to highlight more contemporary sounds from around the globe… Southeast Asia has been bubbling up in recent years partially due to the team behind Potato Head, which runs multiple festivals, clubs, listening bars, and studios in Bali, Indonesia and around the world. The boutique hotel group’s diverse cultural programming supports a rich local scene of artists alongside headliner international acts like Haruomi Hosono and Theo Parrish, who recently performed at Desa Potato Head for NTS’ One Day festival.

One of the rising local artists in the Potato Head circle is Harry Septiandry aka Munir, an Indonesian musician who crafts modern funk music inspired by City Pop, AOR, and Boogie. His tracks fuse an analog retro-ism (vintage beat machines and synths) with a modern pop sensibility that fans of Stones Throw and Peoples Potential Unlimited will love. Munir’s last album The Soundtrack Of Sentiments was one of our favorites of 2023. Released by Jinhua-based label 1asia, the album touches on boogie, cosmic disco, balearic, downtempo, and more with a cast of international collaborations from South Korea and China.

Last Friday, 1asia released a gorgeous music video for Munir’s “Bold (不会在乎).” Directed by Korean-American filmmaker Aaron Choe aka Airbear (who is also an amazing DJ… check out his Sanpo Disco mix of South Korean ambient pop rarities), the short film features Chinese rapper NENGNEN along with up-and-coming Korean actress Youjin Shin in various scenes around South Korea. The colorful, dreamlike sequences recall iconic films about youth and love like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Josee, the Tiger and the Fish”.

Purchase Munir’s The Soundtrack of Sentiments on vinyl: https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/product/munir-the-soundtrack-of-sentiments-lp/

More information on the video from 1asia:

“The beauty of the song BOLD lies in its creation, which unfolded entirely during a journey. The inspiration for the melody came from a trip to the tranquil town of Anji, while the final mix was completed in the mountain city of Bandung. A subtle longing for the free-spirited flow of a fleeting relationship echoes throughout the music. As one of the rare Modern Funk tracks from Asia in recent years, it blends
pop elements with a genuine essence, earning widespread love.

The inspiration of the music video came from a story involving an acquaintance of Aaron’s. One night, on a whim after drinking, this friend took a taxi from Seoul all the way to Busan, a drive that takes around 8 hours by car, just to see the ocean. The video, like the story, is spontaneous yet hones in on specific memories, the good and bad in the couples relationship.”