Ganti: Sound, Style and Subculture
When the Spanish chairs and lounge divans cleared, the third Saturday night of December reimagined KARAT as a stage for sharp verses and relentless rhythms. Over a dozen artists, both debuting and returning performers at KARAT alike, took over the sound systems, marking a cultural metamorphosis on the street of Petitenget.
That night celebrated the third edition of GANTI.
Following two standout editions at Brezzy and Crafty, GANTI stepped into a new chapter at our space, cohabiting KARAT alongside Woodensun for their FW25 Oracle Collection. While the first venues had already set a high bar, the third edition marked a clear evolution. Street art installations and fundraising merchandise added depth to the night, signalling a bolder creative vision and the cornerstone of Ganti’s expansion.
As we sat in conversation with Ganti’s founders before the treble started humming and decks started spinning, Ganti expanded on their journey of transforming the arts and culture scene of Bali.
“We wanted to hear our dirty songs and our trap, hip hop, all that stuff. Underground music that we don't ever get the chance to listen to in clubs,” shared Pluto, who later in the evening hypnotised the crowd with his original productions.
Pluto, Knotilus and Louie, who had grown up within arms’ reach of Bali’s nightlife epicentres, over time, began recognising a gap in the music and entertainment scene. They noticed that venues at the forefront of their heuristics leaned towards commercially curated setlists. Eventually, inspired by the artistry that shapes their own playlists, they set out to create a platform sharing a more disruptive sound, style and subculture, performed by local talents.
Raya: Why do you think Bali needs something like Ganti?
Knotilus: We felt a sense of distance between the local community and the local expat community.
In the end, we're actually all so similar, yet we're all so separated. It was more so a chance to bring everybody together and notice that, hey, we're all into the same things, we can all vibe together.
Raya: From what I’ve seen at Crafty, you’ve done a great job at bridging the local and international communities. How did you reach out and select the artists that you chose to platform?
Knotilus: Well, that's where Louie, Hendry, and Indra from Televisi Star come in. He connected our communities because, I mean, they have great artists who are working in designing and doing what Televisi Star does already. So they connected us with that community and with those artists. So yeah, that's how we got in touch with all the local scene and
Raya: And how do you envision Ganti growing?
Pluto: We want to get to a point where we could throw something like a whole experience, maybe a festival, if you want to put that word out there, where it's not just showcasing music and hip-hop. It can expand to art, showing the live case of art galleries or exhibitions, if that's the correct word.
Raya: On that note, and calling back to how tonight, you're sharing a space with Woodensun, where does fashion play into Ganti?
Knotilus: We have our little drops here and there. We like to design and create things, so we're going to do a couple of things ourselves. The dream is to collaborate with anybody who shares our vision. There are really no limitations. We're changing. No blocks.
Raya: By doing your own thing, you mean making your own clothing?
Knotilus: Yeah, for this event, we were able to make a couple of shirts. Because of the floods that happened in Sumatra, it caused a lot of damage, so we wanted to find a way to raise some money, because we do everything for free. We're not doing this for profit. But yeah, for this one we made a couple t-shirts. Hopefully, they sell out, and we can donate everything to Sumatra.
Raya: They’re already available here?
Knotilus: Yeah, but they’re very, very limited. We only made 20 pieces.
Ganti’s merchandise reps their signature street style, with a graffiti logo sported over a black and white portrait of a Balinese man.
True to their mission of amplifying the native underground landscape, the northern wall of the KARAT bar was emblazoned with local graffiti artist DOBY’s tagline, “Local Must Be Hero” all night long. It loomed as two banners above the DJs, rappers, and singers as both a statement and a rallying cry.
Ultimately, the boys hope that all of Bali’s subcommittees can embrace alternative artscapes as a token of growth.
Knotilus: We’re all about getting out of your comfort zone and seeing that it's a friendly environment, where everyone can be themselves and have fun together. Ganti means change, and change is always good.
