Indonesia’s culture of mega speakers sparks uproar – and it’s getting louder

The practice of blasting towering speakers stacked on trucks and boats in Indonesia to celebrate events ranging from weddings to national holidays is increasingly drawing a chorus of public disapproval, even from religious leaders.

“Sound horeg” – from the Javanese word for “vibrate” – is a type of street entertainment involving very loud music systems that has taken off in East and Central Java in recent years.

Ahead of Indonesia’s August 17 Independence Day, officials and police are weighing between curbing bone-rattling speaker volumes and maintaining peace among residents who enjoy the rowdy spectacle.

In early August, a woman watching a sound horeg show in Lumajang Regency reportedly collapsed and died after complaining of dizziness. The cause of death remains unknown, but the incident has further fuelled debate over the entertainment that has grown steadily since it first began in the city of Malang in 2014.

Videos posted on social media show trucks rigged with speaker towers rolling through packed streets, pumping out bass-heavy beats capable of shaking nearby windows. Such loud volumes can damage hearing or cause other health problems, according to critics.

David Stefan, owner of Malang-based sound system rental company Blizzard Audio, told national broadcaster Metro TV that to date, there were around 1,200 businesses around Malang catering to the demand for sound horeg, 500 of which supplied “large capacity” speakers.