EMERGING MELBOURNE ARTIST KOMANG INVITES US TO STEP INTO HER WORLD WITH EMPOWERING NEW VIDEO FOR DEBUT SINGLE: ‘DEWI’
Earlier this month Melbourne artist Rosie Clynes introduced us to her creative alter ego Komang, who kicked off her new reign over the limbo world between tradition and experimentation with debut single and ‘Dewi’. Bridging the gap between her Balinese heritage and Australian upbringing and drawing influence from a variety of genres including heavy doses of electronic RnB, echoes of Gamelan, and a tinkering of pop sensibilities, ‘Dewi’ marked the start of a long and powerful journey for Komang. Now, the budding artist is excited to reveal her first ever music video and open the gates for us to step into her vibrant and thriving kingdom.
Filmed in Komang’s old workplace and creative hub, the music video for ‘Dewi’ pays homage to the club as Komang prepares for opening night; practicing her routine, gearing up with stunning costuming and transforming into her powerful, fearless and fully realised stage-self. Directed by Amy Dellar, the video serves as a striking metaphor for Komang’s own commanding emergence onto the local Melbourne electronic scene – turning heads and pricking ears with a truly captivating sense of purpose, freedom of expression and the utmost creativity.
“Being my first music video, I wanted to tell the story of a beginning - in this case, a stripper preparing for her routine transformation, in the way that many of us don our armour to face the world. The strip club really holds that space, where folks in the dressing rooms transform from baggy hoodies and track pants into these glorious hyper-femme entities who wear their adornments like armour. Everyone’s armour looks different, and in order to respect each other, we need to respect that, too.
As an ex-dancer, this video is also an expression of gratitude to the strip club. The club allowed me the time and privilege to pursue music much deeper, so I wanted to honour and reflect that with my first music video. To say ‘thank you for letting me see how powerful I am - now look what I’ve made for you!’.” – Komang
Formally trained as an actor, Komang's flair for production started while working as a performer and writer in Jakarta’s contemporary theatre world. It was there that, entranced by the city’s jazz and hip hop community, she began learning to produce her own music, becoming a frequent collaborator with Jakarta’s own soul scene before returning back to Melbourne and most recently completing a mentorship with local legend Sui Zhen. Following a sneak peek at her sold-out AsiaTOPA show as part of SIGNAL Young Creatives Lab earlier this year, Komang is readying to release her long-awaited debut EP Mythologies, a sonic exploration of her return to Indonesia as an adult – relearning language, traditions and stories. Stay tuned for its release date in the not-too-distant future!
“Wowww, this is gonna take some beating for my fave find of the day. It's pure, intoxicating and stylish and my love for Little Dragon has me swooning over this.”
– ★★★★½ Declan Byrne, Triple J Home and Hosed
"There’s a fragile quality to Clynes’ production – her vocals in particular; her voice is soft, almost breakable, yet soulful nonetheless, it’s a spell of entrancement – one you can dance to.”
– Miles Ellingham, Giglist UK