Indonesian EDM trio Weird Genius on Spotify hit Lathi, its TikTok challenge, and paying tribute to their Indonesian heritage

The group’s single Lathi peaked at No 2 on Spotify’s Global Viral 50 chart in May, beating out mainstays such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande

Now they want to prove they aren’t just a one-hit wonder, hinting they have big projects coming up with names including Dutch trap duo Yellow Claw

Reading Time:3 minutes

Weird Genius members (from left) Eka Gustiwana, Reza Oktovian and Gerald Liu. The Indonesian EDM group’s hit single Lathi reached No 1 on every major streaming platform in Indonesia and has gone viral globally.

Published: 6:00pm, 10 Jun 2020Updated: 6:06pm, 10 Jun 2020

It’s like a fairy-tale come true. Form a band with your friends, make some music and see one of your tracks not only top Spotify’s global charts, but also become a viral hashtag.

This is what Indonesian electronic dance music (EDM) trio Weird Genius have achieved with their track Lathi.

After its release in March, Lathi – which also features Surabaya-born rapper and singer Sara Fajira – soon shot to No 1 on every major streaming platform in Indonesia including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Joox, and eventually peaked at No 2 on Spotify’s Global Viral 50 chart, even beating out mainstays such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

What makes Weird Genius’ success even sweeter is that Lathi isn’t a cookie-cutter EDM track made for festivals. The song and its accompanying video drips with Javanese elements, paying tribute to the trio’s Indonesian heritage – as evident by the legion of shadow puppeteers, fire breathers and dancers in traditional garb that show up in the music video.

Lathi has even spawned its own TikTok challenge, which has racked up more than 169 million views and counting: the #lathichallenge sees women, sometimes in traditional Indonesian garb, preen coquettishly and innocuously for the camera. As the track peaks, they transform into demonic beings with the help of “insane make-up and costumes”, as member Reza Oktovian explains.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x