Making of the Samsara Soundtrack
Sound & Culture Summit
In his film Samsara (2024), Indonesian director Garin Nugroho uses the aesthetics of the pre-color, silent film era to explore a mystical version of 1930s Bali. Key to the film’s intensity is its unforgettable soundtrack, for which composer and gamelan master Wayan Sudirana and Bali-based duo Gabber Modus Operandi joined forces. Their mixture of (hardcore) electronic music, hazy noise and traditional elements transports the story about a man entangled in dark rituals to new heights.
In this special presentation – presented by Le Guess Who?, COSMOS and Ableton – Kasimyn (of HULUBALANG and Gabber Modus Operandi) breaks down how he, Sudirana and a full orchestra utilized Ableton’s Push 3 and Open Tuning capabilities to embark on this sonic journey.
The film Samsara is part of Le Guess Who?’s 2025 film program and will be screened at Slachtstraat Filmtheater on Friday, 7 November. HULUBALANG performs on Saturday, 8 November as part of Tianzhuo Chen’s curation.
This program is curated by Ableton.