“If you had the nation's gaze for an hour, what would you say?”

Such a thought sparked our conversation in the hours after Hindia's album concert in Semarang. Nestled in a dimly lit corner of a hotel lobby, redolent with the scent of cigarettes, Arya, Baskara, and I exchanged ideas, prepping mentally for the upcoming concert in Jakarta.

Cover photo by Martinus Ragita.

Time flew, and soon, we were delving deep into Baskara's psyche, crafting the Blue Valley for the climactic Hindia’s "Lagipula Hidup Akan Berakhir" (LHAB) album concert.

In this piece, I share our journey of sculpting the Blue Valley, envisioning alongside Baskara, collaborating with Bay Team, and our shared passion for storytelling, technology, art, and music.

Part I: Blue Valley Is Not A Place.

Chances are, if you're here, you've stumbled upon mentions of Blue Valley on my social platforms, often linked to Hindia’s second album. Let's set the record straight: Blue Valley isn't a geographical location. It's an immersive mental realm. The past years have hurled existential quandaries at us, with a pandemic, accelerating climate change, tech leaps, and economic shifts.

To convey this feeling of navigating a surreal reality, we amplified Hindia's message. My expertise lies in live visual production and VJing, but with Bay Team's unwavering support, our contribution to the LHAB concert series exceeded most expectations.

Our hands crafted what's typically outsourced—online engagements, promotional materials, and interactive elements, bridging the audience and the music.

Part II: Resonating Rhythms and Radiant Visions

At its core, Bay Team is a collective that seamlessly melds technology with human creativity. Essentially, Bay Team empowers collaborators to articulate or narrate tales that demand technical proficiency. Our adoration for music and show production magnified the narratives Baskara aspired to convey through Hindia.

Recognizing the significance of the "Four Angels"—a motif recurrent in Hindia’s communication and album—it was evident that a singular expansive LED screen wouldn't suffice. Instead, in collaboration with Hindia’s tech director and stage designer, Bli, we conceptualized a quad of towering six-meter LED installations.

Crafting bumper sequences for the Jakarta concert has been an exhilarating endeavor. We harnessed underrated public domain footage to articulate the intricate concepts of Blue Valley, Angels, Shadows, and their associated tragedies and triumphs.

Part III: The Power of Grandiose Imagination

For many of us, including Baskara, Jakarta isn't just a city—it's home. Fittingly, it serves as the final stage for the LHAB album concert series. Naturally, when thinking about this concert, our imaginations soared, and we weren't afraid to dream audaciously.

The six-meter-tall Fourth Angel statue was a recurring topic of discussion in our planning meetings. While several other concepts didn't make the final cut, each contributed to our decision-making process, balancing visual appeal, logistical challenges, and time/budget constraints.

The experience of orchestrating the LHAB concert fortified my belief in starting with grand visions and adapting them as plans evolve. Baskara taught me the dual art of dreaming big and gracefully navigating changes—a skill I've struggled with in the past.

As the Jakarta concert unfolded, I felt like I was navigating the five stages of grief. By its conclusion, I had found acceptance.

After the show, I declared to my friends and to anyone I could talk to:

“At this point, the benchmark for our performance should no longer be ourselves, but rather the audience.”

This sentiment was later echoed by Fadhil (a.k.a. Matter Mos, one of the featured artists), who reminded me to set aside any self-doubt and recognize the brilliance of our accomplishments. I still get a little teary-eyed every time I remember this.

Part IV: Leveraging Augmented Means of Creation

Bay Team defies traditional labels. We aren't just motion designers or visual jockeys; we're a creative collective. Our independence from specific mediums or software ecosystems grants us the liberty to utilize any tool we encounter. Imagine using the most obscure, out-of-place tool, using the strengths of each tool, and combining them to augment stories beyond science fiction and fantasy, in any medium you can think of.

Collaborating with Hindia from day zero to the finale of this project was unforgettable. Engaging with an artist that released a double album is a unique opportunity already, but assisting them in curating the entire journey—from listening sessions, online engagements, Instagram content, an alternate reality game (ARG) dictating dress codes and venue reveals, to the pinnacle of live visuals—was truly special.

We employed a blend of familiar tools and innovative ones to optimize our creative process. Technologies like Stable Diffusion, GPT, and generative synthesized voices enriched the overall experience. A key insight from this endeavor was recognizing that computer-generated imagery isn't confined to 3D renders; it now spans text-to-image and image-to-video generations. We're eager to integrate these advancements in future projects, while preserving our core CGI processes.

The evolution in content creation, propelled by AI tools, user-generated content, ARGs, and social networks, is perfectly timed. Hindia's album captures the essence of this era, reflecting on humanity's journey and pondering the eventual consequences of our collective creations.

This concert series, particularly the Jakarta performance, ranks among the most ambitious projects I've ever undertaken. I believe the same holds true for Bay Team, Hindia, and all other participants. If you attended any of these concerts, I deeply appreciate it, and I trust you had a memorable experience.

The realization of this concert would not have been possible without the collective efforts of numerous crew members, teams, sponsors, partners, featured collaborators, and the session players themselves. Special thanks go to Team Hindia, Bay Team, Sun Eater, PPC Production, Teater Pandora, Antara Suara, and every individual who played a role in its success. From the depths of my heart, thank you. <3

izzy is a co-creative director alongside Baskara Putra for the Hindia’s "Lagipula Hidup Akan Berakhir" album concert series. izzy and Bay Team can take part in any stage of production.