Batavia Collective are back — and this time, they’ve teamed up with Singapore’s weish for a moody, late-night soundscape titled 'Signs', out now via Syndicate.
Marking the first taste of their upcoming CODED EP, out 18 July, 'Signs' is a brooding fusion of ambient textures, broken beats, and warped vocal loops. It’s a sonic departure for the Jakarta-based trio — known for blending jazz improvisation with electronic experimentation — and their most introspective track yet.
Originally conceived as an instrumental, the track took on new life when Kiat of Syndicate introduced the band to weish, whose unmistakable voice elevates the song into an emotional deep-dive. “Once weish came in, it changed everything. Her voice didn’t just sit on the track — it haunted it. ‘Signs’ became our quietest piece, but also our most emotionally loaded. It’s part ballad, part breakdown, part release,” the group shares.
Lyrically, weish captures a slow unraveling — of voice, self, and sanity. Lines like “Somewhere in the dust I lost my eyes” and “How my molecules came to be pulled apart / I can’t remember how it started” paint a picture of emotional dislocation and the desperate need for a signal — or a song — to return to self.
The single will also soon be paired with a minimalist visualizer, setting the tone for the rest of CODED, which promises everything from explosive Bruk rhythms (on 'Rush') to hypnotic rituals (on 'Ring the Bells' featuring Kamga).
In July, BTVC will support the release of CODED with a tour across Hong Kong, Mongolia, Singapore, and France, including a three-day showcase at Les Escales Festival in Saint-Nazaire, as they continue to champion a Southeast Asian sound that bridges underground club culture with live performance.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-