Vinyl records may be gaining popularity among enthusiasts of vintage audio, but for Banteng Ramadan, his preferred medium of analogue music is the more affordable cassette tape, which he began collecting as a first-year university student.
“I like to invite my friends over to listen to my [collection of] tapes, and over time, they would invite me over as well to play at their events as a cassette jockey,” shared the 27-year-old. Eager to share his love for cassette tapes with even more people, he decided to work together with his girlfriend Dian Melina and created Bossanova, a cassette listening space-slash-café attached to his childhood home.
Situated along the quaint neighbourhood of Kramat Lontar in Central Jakarta, the nondescript facade blends perfectly with its surroundings. But one step through the rolling door entrance, and one is immediately met with the sight of a full-fledged cassette deck—an industry-standard Tascam 122 MKIII—playing easy renditions spanning local and international albums from ‘Jazz Masa Kini’ by Abadi Soesman Band to Kool & The Gang’s ‘Something Special’, and also Rafika Duri’s ‘Bossanova Indonesia’, the inspiration behind the establishment’s name.
The ambience of the intimate space comes off like a blast from the past, and it’s made more pronounced by the way it is decorated, displaying a mix of thrifted artwork and retro furniture that Banteng and Dian personally hunted for together.
To complement the listening session, Bossanova serves homestyle fares crafted from Banteng’s mother’s recipes. Visitors are treated to a choice of braised cow lung, shredded fish, chicken skin or fried squids cooked in a robust, aromatic sambal, served over rice. Curb the heat with the signature Es Kiamboy, a fusion of sweet and tangy from dried plums and Yakult, or Es Kecombrang, where torch ginger, the key ingredient, adds a pink tint and herbaceous kick.
Unsurprisingly, since its opening in May last year, Bossanova has become a stomping ground for people of all ages who seek to connect with those bygone days. Elderly couples dance to the song of their youth (“They even brought special dance shoes!”), while the younger generation explores and discovers their own favourites.
Banteng’s expansive collection ensures that these patrons never run out of options for cassette tapes to play, but if they so choose, they could also bring their own and play it through the deck—just like his friends did during their listening sessions.
