DWPX Wraps On Landmark 10th Edition / December 10, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

As the dust settles on the festival grounds and the sun begins to rise on the idyllic island of Bali, DWPX and organisers Ismaya Live now lay claim to a historic achievement. Over its ten year existence they have grown DWP from a small club event into one of the largest and well-known dance festivals in Asia and beyond.

In celebration of this colossal milestone, every effort was made to insure the event was as unique as possible, not only by inviting top flight talent from around the world but also by incorporating the new venue’s surrounding environment and Bali’s rich cultural heritage.

Against the awe-inspiring backdrop of GWK Cultural Park and the recently completed 396 foot Garuda statue it houses, proceedings started with the Tari Kecak - a traditional Balinese dance that took pride of place in front of the mainstage. Then Day 1 was underway, with warm up sets from w.W, Whethan and Troyboi before currant titans of dance music, Alesso, Major Lazer Soundsystem, Diplo, and Armin Van Buuren, each took to the stage to showcase their distinct high-energy sounds to the sprawling crowds.

Day 2 saw the worlds of house, tropical and electro all represented across the three stages with Indonesian rising stars Kimokal kicking things off with one of the most memorable sets of the weekend. Grammy nominated talent Mura Masa then switched things up with his one-of-a-kind atl-R&B style before UK house exports Gorgon City and Jax Jones got the party well and truly started. In charge of capping things off on the main stage was the ever impressive Porter Robinson and producer extraordinaire DJ Snake, while Slushii and Claptone brought their collective A-game to the other two stages to round the night off with a bang.

Opening the mainstage on the final day were Indonesian DJ heavyweights Patricia Schuldtz and Dipha Barus, who both managed to get the crowd’s energy up even after two days of dancing into the early hours. Trap and Trance music took the spotlight next with blistering sets from Baauer, Marlo and Orjan Nilsen, as well as from international party-starters Kris Kross Amsterdam. Lost Frequencies and then dance music hall-of-famer Afrojack lit up the mainstage next, before the most highly anticipated act of the 3 days, The Weeknd, stepped up for his Indonesian debut on his first tour of Asia. Backed by a full band and stunning visuals, he commanded the stage from start to finish, zipping between hits from all 3 albums and proving why he remains one of the most in-demand artists currently on the circuit.

With all three days selling out in advance, festival goers came not just from South East Asia and the Asian territory, but from across the globe, with the likes of Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden represented alongside the local markets of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.   This along with the variety of nationalities represented among artists has made DWP a truly international festival, and one that has inclusivity and acceptance at its core. With this tenth anniversary edition now a resolute success, fans can look forward to another ten years of one of the very best festival experiences around.

Ismaya 15 Festival Celebrated Ismaya's Innovative Journey / November 10, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

ISMAYA Group’s 15th anniversary reached its climax at the ISMAYA 15 festival last night at Istora Senayan. Aside from star-studded musical performances, ISMAYA 15 also highlighted the company’s achievement-filled journey since it was established in 2003.

Kunto Aji kicked off ISMAYA 15 at 6 PM sharp followed by a special performance from Inspire Artistry All Stars comprising of DJ w.W, Fun On A Weekend, Patricia Schuldtz feat. Bams & Adrian Khalif.

All eyes on Barasuara’s energetic performance with special guest star Hasna Mufidah who translated the song “Tirai Cahaya” to sign language. The song is taken off of the band’s upcoming new album “Pikiran dan Perjalanan” set to be released under Ismaya’s record label, Darlin’ Records.

A special ISMAYA 15 moment lit up the stage as Bam Mastro, Ramengvrl and The Marching Halo by Matter Halo performed the song ‘Us Vs’ with dancer Ali Imran Karim while Ismaya’s 15-year journey was showcased through a retrospective video on the stage’s screen.

The whole Istora Senayan was showered by confetti and balloons, with gigantic blow-up balls were passed around in the standing pen in front of the stage.

“Thank you for being a part of our journey,” said Ismaya Group’s founders; Christian Rijanto, Bram Hendrata, and Brian Sutanto in the video. “Here’s to many more amazing experiences to come,” they continued.

Meanwhile, outside of the hall where the celebration took place was the Ismaya Museum where a wall highlighting the company’s 24 diverse brands was installed.

Flight Facilities got the crowd cheering with their live set right after Barasuara. The duo graced Ismaya Live’s Love Garage festival in 2011, the 2013 edition of Djakarta Warehouse Project, and We The Fest 2015.

Headliner Khalid marked his first Indonesian performance at the festival that night. The crowd erupted as Khalid, world’s no. 2 most-streamed artist, performed his hit songs from “Location” to “Young, Dumb & Broke”, complete with stunning visual on stage.

Dipha Barus closed the show with a list of his collaborators that included A. Nayaka, Kallula, Matter Mos, Monica Karina, Nadin, and Ramengvrl, as well as a stunning choir group.

More Than 70,000 Foodies Attended Jakarta Culinary Feastival 2018 / November 5, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

The fifth edition of Jakarta Culinary Feastival welcomed more than 70,000 foodies throughout its 4-day run on 1-4 November at Senayan City.

A total of 72 tenants was featured across 6 zones of the festival that was split into 2 tents — Spoon Tent and Fork Tent — located across Senayan City’s North Lobby and South Lobby respectively. Spoon Tent hosted the Restaurant Area, GO-FOOD Festival, and Main Bar, while Fork Tent housed the always brewing Coffee Room, Dessert Garden, and the festive Market Place area.

On the last day of the festival, a diverse range of cooking demos hosted by the some of the region’s culinary stars took place in Fork Tent. Highlights included Indonesia’s living icon Sisca Soewitomo’s “Permata Dari Jawa Timur” show and MasterChef Australia 2017’s runner-up Ben Ungermann’s very own “A Taste of Holland” cooking demo.

Festival goers also took part in various activities such as the Mie-stery Box Challenge, Burger Stacking Competition, GO-FOOD’s interactive photo booth, and world’s spiciest noodle eating contest.

One of the main highlights of the festival’s fourth day was Revo’s Kids Cooking Class in the Masterclass area. Revo, who’s now arguably one of the nation’s most famous chefs, found his then-new passion in cooking in the same Kids Cooking Class back in JCF 2012. This year’s JCF marked Revo’s last appearance before flying off to New Zealand to pursue his dream of enrolling in a cooking academy at Le Cordon Bleu.

Over at Spoon Tent, various Chef’s Table session hosted by the festival’s brightest culinary stars took foodies to our dining table. Potato Head Jakarta’s head chef, Aditya Muskita, and Mr Fox Jakarta’s Vebrina Hadi took turns to showcase their signature dishes to participating foodies.

JCF 2018 reached its climax with a mixology demo by Agung Prabowo, representing The Old Man’s Hong Kong that currently sits on number 10 of World’s 50 Best Bars.

In its fifth edition, JCF delivered its 360 degrees culinary festival experience for the capital’s foodies through its 4 main pillars; taste, sip, learn, and fun. “At JCF 2018, festival goers experienced more than just eating and drinking,” said Sarah Deshita, Ismaya Live’s Brand Manager. “Foodies got to interact with their most favorite culinary stars across 100 free activities and 30 Masterclass and Chef’s Table sessions,”

“We hope that everybody who celebrated JCF 2018 with us is inspired to explore the wonderful culinary world even further. See you at JCF 2019,” Sarah continued.

For Indonesia / October 1, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

Changing lives begins here.

On September 29, a month after the earthquake in Lombok, a 10-feet Tsunami swept away the coastal areas of Palu and Donggala after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, claiming the lives of hundreds of people and leaving the survivors without shelter and necessities.

We would love to continue our support and extend our helping hands to provide relief for our brothers and sisters in Palu, Donggala & Lombok. Every cent you give can help rebuild their lives.

Every act matters.

Donate Through 'Love For Lombok' Campaign / September 5, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

Ismaya Group initiates a relief effort called “Love for Lombok” for the survivors of the recent earthquakes that struck the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Love for Lombok aims to provide survivors with the help they need.

Love For Lombok invites everyone to donate through Bank BCA account number 7310770102 (PT. Culina Kreatif Sejahtera) with the subject ‘Love for Lombok’. All donations will be gathered to provide food, shelter, clean water, and all sorts of supplies the survivors need that will be distributed to various locations affected by the earthquakes in Lombok.

The Love for Lombok relief effort started at Ismaya Live’s recent festival, ON OFF Festival, that took place on 11 & 12 August at Gandaria City. Festival goers could simply donate through the boxes that were distributed across the festival.

Love for Lombok Donation Channel

Account Number: Bank BCA - 7310770102

Account Name Under: PT. Culina Kreatif Sejahtera

Subject/Berita: Love for Lombok

World's Craziest Touring Party Elrow to Debut in Bali on 25 August / August 16, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

After a successful Indonesia debut at last year’s Djakarta Warehouse Project, globally-acclaimed party touring concept Elrow is returning to Indonesia for their latest Elrow Sambodromo do Brasil tour on Saturday, 25 August 2018 at Ismaya Group’s brand new Manarai Beach House in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Part of Manarai Beach House’s series of soft opening events, the event entitled “Elrow Sambodromo do Brasil” is set to be a truly unique dance music spectacle with their grande Brazilian theme concept and production that have visited numerous countries around the world including China, Italy, and Paraguay last week alone.

The magnificent concept will find spectators in a jungle-like atmosphere surrounded by Elrow’s signature colorful decorations with dancers and performers joining the audience on the dance floor as DJs lead the crowd from stage adorned with confetti rains galore.

“The Elrow Sambodromo do Brasil experience will be an immersive experience for the audience. It will be a celebration of everything Brazilian including samba and butacada,” said Sarah Deshita, Assistant Brand Manager of Ismaya Live. “Elrow’s globally-acclaimed eccentric dance music experience is something you have to experience yourself,”

Elrow Sambodoromo do Brasil event will mark Elrow’s first ever Bali event that will feature an eclectic lineup of performers including Chelina Manuhutu, Marc Maya, Rafa Barrios, Tini Gessler, and Candice Halliday.

Tickets to Elrow Sambodromo do Brasil are available for purchase at IDR 660,000 per ticket for the GA - Early Bird category at www.ismaya.com/tickets.

We The Fest 2018 Wraps On Record Breaking Edition / July 23, 2018 by irvan wahyudi

With the dust only just settling on We The Fest 2018, organisers Ismaya Live can look back on another stellar weekend packed with captivating artist performances, stunning fashion showcases, eclectic activations, and even a visit from Indonesia's president Joko Widodo for the second year in a row.

The festival has been growing exponentially since its inception in 2014, with the trend continuing this year. In its home at the Jiexpo Kemayoran in the heart of Indonesia’s capital, the 2018 edition stretched for three days and drew crowds of 60,000, a 20% increase on the previous year and over double that from 2016. With ticket sales skyrocketing, festival goers came not just from South East Asia and the Asian territory, but from across the globe, with France, Germany, New Zealand, and even Peru represented alongside the local markets of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.

Having captured the attention of the international music community, We The Fest now attracts topflight talent from around the world, resulting in some of the most eclectic and exciting line-ups anywhere in Asia. This year was no different, as the likes of Albert Hammond Jr, Chet Faker, Louis The Child, What So Not, Moon Boots, alt-J and British indie-heartthrob James Bay, took to the stage on the first night.

Day 2 saw R&B duo of the moment and Drake protégés Majid Jordan, and synth-pop duo Honne, showcase their soul-soothing sets before Lorde lit up the stage with her debut performance in the city. A visual and sonic spectacle, Lorde whizzed between hits from her two albums before ending with her magnum opus and crowd favourite, ‘Green Light’. Odesza then capped things off, managing to take things up a another gear, with awe-inspiring visuals providing the perfect backdrop to their cinematic performance.

Day 3 was a day of firsts, with Indonesian debuts from the likes of SG Lewis, Petit Biscuit, The Neighbourhood, and Basenji before the current titans of hip-hop and rap took to the main stage to close out the festival. Vince Staples, Miguel and then SZA, each one stealing the show from the last, sent the crowd into a frenzy and showcased why they’re all at the top of their games.

Ismaya have always nurtured local talent and this year they booked more than ever. The worlds of rock, pop, rap, and jazz were all on show, with acts including GAC, Padi Reborn, Barasuara, Laze and Dipha Barus illustrating Indonesia's burgeoning music scene.

Another key aim of Ismaya is to curate a festival that goes 'Beyond The Music'. This initiative, to bring other elements of Indonesian culture into event, proved just as popular with fans as the live acts, with the WTF Skatepark the main runaway success. Both festival goers and artists took to the ramps to brush up on their kickflips and ollies well into the night.

As conscious about putting on an amazing festival as they are about the environment, this year Ismaya partnered with H&M and Danone on their We The Change campaign. Plastic bottles used at the festival were recycled, made into polyester fibre, and then sent to H&M’s manufacturing plants to be used in their clothes.

The highlight for many was arguably the return of the country's president Joko Widodo. Weaving through the crowd and taking selfies with adoring fans, Widodo soaked up the atmosphere and showed that We The Fest truly is open to all.

With post-festival blues already sinking in, fans can look forward to WTF 2019 which will undoubtedly exceed expectations once again.

Djakarta Warehouse Project 2016 Boasted 90,000 People Over Two Days / December 15, 2016 by irvan wahyudi

Dutch DJ MARC BENJAMIN kicked off the international lineup of the Cosmic Station stage followed by incredible performances courtesy of CHRISTINA NOVELLI, MARLO and BRENNAN HEART.

With 90,000 in attendance for two days last weekend, Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) is now the biggest 2-day dance music festival in Asia. The two-day euphoria boasted 20,000 people from outside of Indonesia from more than 32 countries around the world including Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, Equitorial Guinea, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Vietnam and many more.

Day 1 of DWP 2016 featured the iconic GARUDHA LAND stage – that has once again evolved bigger and bolder featuring 1,600 LED panels and a moving Garudha head to top it off, the NEON JUNGLE stage – that hosted several live performances, and the intimate COSMIC STATION stage. TomorrowLand’s resident DJ YVES V brought his A game to the stage and did a Mannequin Challenge with everyone in the audience – making it Asia’s largest Mannequin Challenge. KSHMR opened his set with a narration about an Indonesian folklore before taking it to the next level. Day 1 of DWP also saw ZEDD & MARTIN GARRIX’s triumphant return to DWP closing the Garudha Land stage on a high note.

Meanwhile in the Neon Jungle stage, TOKIMONSTA’s performance spoiled R&B and dance music lovers at DWP 2016. The Neon Jungle stage saw massive sing-along sessions when the UK duo SNAKEHIPS performed their hit single “All My Friends” and ALAN WALKER performed “Faded”. The group RUDIMENTAL heated up the night with a stellar performance that featured some live trumpet actions. DESTRUCTO performed second last before the Neon Jungle stage ended in the hands of VALENTINO KHAN.

The festivity in DWP 2016 grew bigger on day 2 as the LIFE IN COLOR KINGDOM stage arrived at the festival. This year marks the second year of Life in Color – world’s largest paint party in DWP. A gigantic lion head flown from Miami, the US was the centerpiece of the Life in Color Kingdom stage with DJs performing right in front of the lion’s opened mouth as performers wearing quirky costumes sprayed the audience with colorful paint using two big hose from the stage. A wide range of international and Indonesian acts performed at the stage; JUSTEEN, AYDRA, MMXJ, GIANNI MARINO, CARTA, G.T.A, UMMET OZCAN, DUKE DUMONT, and YELLOW CLAW.

The Cosmic Station stage turned into a ‘darker than dark’ experience as it transformed into THE DARKER SIDE stage on day 2 of DWP 2016. The stage hosted superb performances of international acts including TIGA, HOT SINCE 82, and the legendary CARL COX that ended the night perfectly.

Two monumental moments filled with patriotism spirit happened on day 1 and day 2 of DWP 2016 when MC DRWE brought out the Indonesian flag on stage raising it for everyone to see during DEVARRA and DIPHA BARUS’ set as the screens on stage, with visuals led by ISHA HENING, displayed a gigantic Indonesian flag. “Tonight, let’s dance for unity, peace, and harmony. Let’s celebrate the gift of diversity this country is blessed with.” Said MC Drwe as he was waving the Indonesian flag. “No matter what religion you believe in, your race, and where you’re from, we are all united as one Indonesia. One world with friends from around the world. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika!” shouted MC Drwe as the crowd erupted with cheers. Devarra’s set included a special performance of the song “Focus” which is the official anthem of DWP 2016 produced by Devarra and GIANNI MARINNO. Two special live performances took place during Dipha’s set when he premiered a new song called “All Good” featuring the vocals of an Indonesian up-an-coming singer NADIN and a performance of his hit single “No One Can Stop Us” with KALLULA that recently won the 2016 AMI Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Dance Music Production.

LOST FREQUENCIES performed right after Dipha followed by BLASTERJAXX and W&W. Day 2 also saw the glorious return of DJ SNAKE to the festival before HARDWELL closed the festival with a mezmirizing performance featuring a spectacular fireworks finale at the end of his set.

“This year’s Djakarta Warehouse Project has become our biggest one yet and we are thrilled to have welcomed thousands from around the world to have the time of their life at our festival.” said CHRISTIAN RIJANTO, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ismaya Group, the company that manages the ISMAYA LIVE, the event organizer behind DWP. “We are excited to bring more amazing moments next year in DWP 2017 and to present an unforgettable experience for everyone from around the world.” Christian continued.

Djakarta Warehouse Project 2016 would like to thank MOVE as Presenting Partner, CHIVAS as Official Spirit, MIZONE as Official Isotonic Drink, DUREX as Official Lover Partner, TEH PUCUK HARUM as Official Tea, BEAR BRAND as Official After Party Drink, BALI HAI as Official Beer, GRAB as Official Ride Buddy, JOOX as Official Music App, HOTEL GRAND MERCURE JAKARTA KEMAYORAN as Official Hotel Partner, HELPSTER as Official Recruitment App, ASIA POP 40 as Official Regional Radio Partner, CHANNEL V as Official Music Channel, all of the participating media partners who have supported the festival in the past few months, all volunteers, and of course YOU for taking part in the biggest DWP yet.