This talk explores the making of the work PANJAGO: Body - Sound - Improvisation. This combines Silek, a traditional Minangkabau martial art, with electronic music.  

In this project, the sonic world of Silek is searching for a friendship through  collaboration. The development of Silek in musical performance has been pioneered by Efenur, and he is now pursuing his doctoral research on Silek and body sound composition. This collaboration expands this perspective on the body giving and responding to sounds. Signals captured from Efenur’s performance provide input for musical responses by Jambak and Wilson, collectively improvised in a spirit of adaptation, reflecting the Silek philosophy of "Sakali aia gadang, sakali tapian berubah".  In the contemporary context, PANJAGO holds significance not only as a preservation of ancestral knowledge but also as a renewal and collaborative evolution of traditions. PANJAGO embodies the foundational value of adaptability, which is crucial for humanity in navigating rapid technological advancements. It underscores the need for individuals to exercise self-control and interact with one another with moral and humanistic awareness. This adaptive spirit is reflected in the musical collaboration, where a dialogue is established between body sounds (performed by Hario) and technological elements such as electronics and live coding (produced by Rani Jambak and Scott Wilson). This work is not merely an artistic endeavor—it also seeks to convey to a broader audience that the knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors remain highly relevant and can still be applied in navigating the changes of our times.