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If you’ve spent any time trying to describe Jakarta trio Ali, you’ve probably found yourself running out of hyphens.
Psychedelic funk, Indonesian grooves, Middle Eastern melodies, soul, disco, rock… the list goes on, but it never quite lands. Their music seems to exist somewhere between familiar and foreign, constantly nudging listeners to rethink where certain sounds are “supposed” to come from.
Ahead of their long-awaited Kuala Lumpur debut, JUICE caught up with the Jakarta trio to unpack the cultural influences behind their music, why Arabic became the language of choice for their songs, the band’s surprisingly wholesome tour habits, and the one compliment they’ll never forget.
While many first-time listeners assume Ali’s Arabic lyrics point to a…