Malang, Indonesia – People in an Indonesian village watched as a tower of loudspeakers mounted on a truck rumbled through their usually serene home, blasting a thumping bass loud enough to crack windows.
Loudspeaker towers are commonplace on Indonesia’s main island of Java, blaring a repetitive mix of electronic tunes and traditional folk music at street parties, but they have drawn the ire of local authorities and calm-seeking neighbours.
The loudspeaker stacks have proven so disruptive that officials this month have restricted their use while religious bodies have declared excessive and damaging sound from them to be “haram”, or forbidden under Islamic law.
“The sound is booming from 1 pm to 3 am. They play loud music and drink alcohol,” Ahmad Suliyat, a resident of Ngantru village in East Java province, told AFP.
“It’s really disturbing.”
Indonesians in East Java have shared videos on social media of cracked walls, falling roof tiles and damaged stores caused by the noise impact known as “sound horeg”, which loosely means to move or vibrate in Javanese.
The online backlash forced authorities in East Java to issue an order this month limiting noise levels and specifying the times and locations loudspeakers can be used.
“It was made for health and security reasons. The noise level must be regulated so it will not disturb the public peace and order,” East Java governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa told AFP.
Ear-splitting noise has been shown to have adverse health consequences, including a higher risk of heart conditions for those exposed.
