Preface

This dissertation is a study in diachronic perspective on the impact of recording technologies, more specifically cassette and video compact disc (VCD), on Indonesian local cultures and societies. It examines how modern reproduced sound, which is constantly proliferating and multiplying up to today through various (social) media, but initially facilitated by recording media technology through the agency of regional recording industries, has influenced the contours of Indonesian local cultures. The study relates Indonesia’s first encounter with recording technology, examines the nature and cultural ramifications of the expansion of recording technology among Indonesia’s ethnic groups, and looks at its engagement with other media. As a case study, the West Sumatran recording industry is explored, along with the commercial cassettes and VCDs it has produced. I examine the features, content, and socio-cultural meanings of mediated Minangkabau cultural expressions.