J. „Mo’ong” Santoso Pribadi is an experimental music composer and instrument builder. Born in Bangkok and raised in Java – Indonesia, he is currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania. His work focuses on decolonial music, seeking to reconnect with and reinterpret the sounds of the Archipelago — „Indonesia”. Mo’ong’s practice is driven by a profound desire to reshape cultural expressions, honoring their origins while adapting them to modern contexts. Mo’ong’s work spans diverse genres and multidisciplinary collaborations, including modern dance, theater, contemporary puppet theater, installation art, and performance art. In 2015, he launched the Limbah Berbunyi project, composing music from instruments made of found objects and waste materials.

As part of the experimental duo Raja Kirik with musician/composer Yennu Ariendra, Mo’ong explores the war of narratives during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia. His latest project, Takkak Takkak, a collaboration with Shigeru Ishihara (DJ Scotch Egg), merges experimental sounds and cross-cultural influences into genre-defying performances.

Along with sound artists Agita Reke and Kris Kuldkepp, Mo’ong takes part in a two-week-long residency programme ‘Kintai.Kitaip’, inviting its participants to explore the local soundscape along with Pauline Oliveros’ ideas of „sonic awareness”. An open interplay between “attention and awareness” becomes the starting point for the participants’ creative process.

Photo by Jakub Dolezal