Brilio.net/en - Indonesia has plenty of major record labels, but 60 years ago there was just one. Lokananta in Solo, Central Java, opened in 1956, as the country's first record label and later its first music studio.
Built in 1956 on the instruction of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno to show that Indonesia could produce its own vinyl records. At the time, Western gramophone records dominated broadcasts at Republic Indonesia Radio (RRI).
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Lokananta started out as the official vinyl records manufacturer for RRI according to its official website, Lokananta was initially called Pabrik Piringan Hitam Lokananta Jawatan Radio Kementerian Penerangan Republik Indonesia (the Lokananta Radio Records Factory Office of the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Indonesia).
In 1961, Lokananta's core business developed into a record label specializing in folk songs, performing arts and publising books and magazines.
It became a repository of historical recordings. You can still find the original 'Indonesia Raya' – the national anthem, Soekarno's speech at the first Asian-African Conference in 1955 and the 'Genjer-genjer' song strongly associated with the 30 September Movement and Indonesian Communist Party.
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The studio is modernizing and music is still recorded there today.
1. Inside a room for converts analog records to cassette tapes.
Lokananta Music Studio
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2. Hallway of the Lokananta terrace building where photos of employees and longtime Information Minister Harmoko are displayed. Harmoko inaugurated the studio in 1985.
Lokananta Music Studio
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3. Storage room that holds more than 40,000 phonograph records. The temperature is controlled to preserve them.
Lokananta Music Studio
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4. Lokananta works with vinyl cover manufacturer Galeri Malang Bernyanyi to protect records from damage by termites.
Lokananta Music Studio
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5. The instrumental vinyl recording of the national anthem 'Indonesia Raya', arranged by Jozef Cleber at the request of President Soekarno.
Lokananta Music Studio
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