Speaking with The Jakarta Post, the 25-year-old explains that his latest direction is not meant to be a kick in the pants—especially for his fans. “I’m grateful for my success so far, and I have no plans to stray away from the [jazz-pop] genre. But, if you look at the careers of jazz musicians overseas, recording children’s music is almost like a rite of passage. The two genres are pretty correlated,” he explains while making allusions to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald (“Old McDonald”) and Louis Prima (“Yes, We Have No Bananas”).

Pursuing children’s music holds personal importance for Ardhito as well. Although Indonesian children are familiar with Disney songs, he finds that those tunes “are not the same [in terms of relatable values] as the ones composed by a fellow Indonesian. They offer different emotional connections.” Moreover, his love for his nephew added more urgency to his latest pursuit. “When I look at [my nephew] I want him to listen to high-quality, age-appropriate music. Music that is fun, educational and completely Indonesian.” After finishing recording the entire album, Ardhito feels bold enough to declare it as his legacy. "I want this album to live on even when I’m old and senile,” he laughs.

When it comes to creating children’s music, a story is vital. Ardhito took inspiration from Semar, a character from Javanese mythology who is often regarded as the most sacred figure of the wayang ensemble. “I want to reintroduce [Semar] to the young generation. I think it’s important to draw a story from existing Indonesian folklore.” Hence, a mini-album titled Semar & Pasukan Monyet (Semar & the Army of Monkeys) was born—a fable in the form of seven jazzy tracks, each of them serving as a "chapter.”

Semar & Pasukan Monyet is entirely written by Ardhito and produced by Aldi Nada Permana—a promising producer who is silently responsible for the pop hits of Andmesh Kamaleng and Rizky Febian. Ardhito offers nothing but high praise for his producer. “I always try to give him a shout-out during my live performances,” he says. “It’s not every day you can find a versatile producer like him.”

Does the fable stop at Semar & Pasukan Monyet? Not so fast, according to Ardhito. He still has bigger plans in mind—a musical, for instance. “I really want to turn this album into a musical. Something euphoric and Broadway-like. I have been talking with some people about the possibility [of making the musical]. Let’s just say I have a good feeling about this,” he teases.

Regardless of the numerous risks Ardhito has taken in his five-year career, there is a particular one with which he is still struggling. “I really wanted to collaborate with other artists, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do so,” he says awkwardly. For Ardhito, collaborations are not entirely different from sacred partnerships such as marriage. “Because your names will be etched on that record forever. Therefore, [at least for me] it requires a lot of trust.”

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