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It might get loud: How 'horeg' sound systems rock East Java and beyond
The videos, which first introduced people to the trend, showed a stack of loudspeakers being hauled on the back of a truck delivering loud music that literally shook walls, bringing down roofs and piercing people's eardrums.
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Revelers stand in front of a stack of speakers that make up a 'horeg' sound system during a street party on Jl. Sudirman, Jakarta, on Oct. 20, 2024. (Antara/Muhammad Ramdan)
As with most things in life today, it began around two years ago with a string of viral videos on social media.
The videos, which first introduced people to the trend, showed a stack of loudspeakers being hauled on the back of a truck delivering loud music that literally shook walls, bringing down roofs and piercing people's eardrums.
Other viral videos show operators of these massive sound systems taking down road signs, railings on bridges and house fences only to make way for trucks carrying their oversized load.
And after years of being accepted only as a local and regional sensation, mostly in parts of East Java, the new sound system craze known as horeg made its way into the capital city Jakarta on Oct. 20, when some of the biggest names in the business; the likes of Raden Wijaya Audio, Brewog Audio and Bintang Perkasa Audio, were invited to rock the party for the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto.
The party in Jakarta was in fact a culmination of what happened in the presidential campaign, especially in East Java where horeg, which means “to move” or “vibrate”, made its regular presence felt.
Other than amping up the atmosphere in political rallies, horeg has long been part of weddings, street parties and religious gatherings where entertainment is served centering around loud music and oversized speakers.
Horeg setups resemble the Doof Warrior’s car from Mad Max: Fury Road, featuring layers of speakers stacked high for an impressive and powerful display.
