the beginnings

Music has been part of my life from an early age. The Indonesian side of my family is deeply musical, and through my father’s record collection I grew up surrounded by a wide range of genres. I wrote my first song at thirteen and performed live for the first time a year later.

From 2012 to 2016, I was the lead singer of the future house band COMODO before moving to Berlin in 2018 to launch my solo project, KARTINI. While my early songwriting was heavily shaped by pop-punk and alternative artists, living in Berlin gradually drew me towards more electronic soundscapes. Today, influences from artists such as FKA twigs, BANKS, Florence + The Machine, and Bob Moses come together in what I describe as Ethereal Bass Pop: a cinematic blend of indie pop, electronica, deep bass, and emotional storytelling.

photo: family album

That’s me, probably around age 5 or 6 in traditional Acehnese clothing with classic 90es princess jewellery. See, I have been a diva this whole time.