BUTO BAYANG Launches Vol.1, a Transcontinental Compilation Connecting Asian and Diaspora Voices

Berlin-based platform BUTO BAYANG is set to release its first international compilation, spotlighting producers from across Asia and the global diaspora.

When BUTO BAYANG first emerged in Berlin, it wasn't framed as a label or a collective. It arrived instead as a response, to absence, to fragmentation, to the quiet feeling of being present yet unseen within club culture. Founded by ENNIO and HAMY in late 2025, the platform has steadily grown into a transcontinental network rooted in solidarity, care and self determination.

That vision now takes tangible form with Vol 1., BUTO BAYANGS debut compilation: a ten track release bringing together artists from across Asia and the global diaspora, each contributing their own language of rhythm, texture and emotion.

Rather than presenting a singular aesthetic, Vol. 1 moves though a wide spectrum of sound, from percussive club energy to introspective electronics, mirror the multiplicity of identities behind it. The compilation features Xiaolin, TWIENA, Jiho, Shanda, BreakLD, Ambrukt, ENNIO, Ciriya, WILHELMINA and Temple Rat, forming a sonic map that stretches from Southeast Asia to Europe and beyond.

For the founders, this geographic spread is central. BUTO BAYANG was never meant to operate in one direction. Instead, it exists as a bridge, connecting artists working in vastly different conditions, while resisting the ideas of Berlin as a culture center that absorbs rather than exchanges. Their approach prioritizes reciprocity: creating visibility for Asian artists in Europe while remaining closely connected to grassroots scenes across Asia.

That perspective was shaped during their 2025 Asia tour, which took them through Shanghai, Chengdu, Singapore, Tokyo, Bali, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Across these cities, they encountered underground communities built with minimal infrastructure but deep collective care. Artists carving our space despite political, economic and social limitations. The experience reinforced their belief that meaningful platforms must grow slowly, listen closely and remain accountable to the communities they engage with.

That philosophy runs throughout Vol. 1, unfolding as a carefully sequenced journey rather than a loose collection of tracks.

The compilation opens in an atmospheric register with ‘Bansuri’ from Xiaolin and Kawa, a downtempo ceremonial introduction shaped by Kawa’s expressive flute work, which guides the piece with meditative clarity. From there, momentum begins to build. On ‘Temple Run’, Amsterdam based Vietnamese producer TWIENA threads traditional textures through crisp, percussive club frameworks, striking a balance between heritage and forward motion.

Jiho’s ‘Phase Connection’ follows, a tightly wound, loopy tool from the Korean artist now based in Tokyo, sharpening the energy with hypnotic precision. Continuing the functional thread, Shanda’s ‘Blue Fever’ locks into groove driven propulsion, firmly focused on the dancefloor.

Midway through, BreakLD’s ‘pps’ injects a swing heavy synth approach that feels playful yet exacting, before the compilation pivots towards Indonesia with Ambrukt’s ‘Kalap’. Produced in Bandung, the track cuts through with sirens, vocal shouts and reggaeton tinged rhythms engineered for peak time impact.

The latter half leans into contrast and release. ENNIO’s ‘Crave U’ simmers with slow burning sensuality, while Ciriya’s ‘ADHD’ introduces warmer, house inflected tones that soften the edges. The compilation closes on a reflective note. WILHELMINA’s ‘Bulong Bulungan’ weaves in delicate kulintang motifs, before Temple Rat’s ‘Fog Is a Fallen Cloud’ drifts in as an ethereal, textural finale, allowing Vol. 1 to gently exhale.

Curated not for cohesion in the traditional sense but for honesty, Vol.1 allows each to arrive on their own terms. The result is a listening experience that feels open ended, less a showcase than an exchange unfolding across borders.

Following early BUTO BAYANG showcases in Bali and Berlin, Vol 1. Marks the project's shift from physical gathering to recorded documentation. Mastered by FANK and released on February 18, 2026, the compilation stands as both a milestone and a beginning, the firs