JAKARTA -- Indonesian music fans are returning to records, driven by a mix of hipster revivalism and nostalgia. The surge of interest in a format that had been abandoned to collectors has fueled the launch of new record labels and been a boon to retailers and distributors.
Last September, Stockroom Recordings quickly sold all 300 copies it pressed of the new single from rock band Seringai through preorders, even though the record was priced at 150,000 rupiah ($12.5) and one of the two songs on the record was already available as a free download. Generally, CDs by domestic artists sell for 25,000 rupiah to 50,000 rupiah.
