DJ Metzdub Brings Jogja to the World
DJ Metzdub was a long way from his hometown of Yogyakarta (also known as Jogja) in Indonesia when we met him at the Zushi Beach Film Festival 2025 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Although he has attended the event with his group, Dubyouth, before, this was his first time performing as a solo artist.
Contrary to Dubyouth’s fun and party-appropriate numbers, Metzdub’s solo is much more chill. To create his debut single “PRACHODAYAT,” Metzdub incorporated the noises and people of Yogyakarta into his music using soundscaping. He strolled around the city with a recorder, taking samples from the chaos of the traffic to children’s voices chanting the ancient Hindu Gayatri Mantra, from where the word “Prachodayat” was taken.
In the latest episode of “In Transit,” Metzdub chats with Globetrotter Lab’s Kennedy Ashinze about the art scenes in Yogyakarta, what he learns from his travels in Japan, and many more.