Indonesia’s earsplitting sound horeg trucks leave communities divided
Indonesia’s earsplitting sound horeg trucks leave communities divided
In East Java, business is booming for mobile entertainment trucks called sound horegs, which light up villages with strobe lights and towering speakers blasting music.
Sound horeg trucks entertain crowds at parades and concerts, with drumbeats and basslines that can hit 130 decibels—loud enough to damage eardrums.
At volumes similar to a jackhammer or ambulance siren, homes have cracked and tempers are flaring.
A sound horeg provider said inter-village rivalries are putting pressure on operators to be bigger and louder.
Indonesia’s most influential Islamic body has declared sound horeg haram, citing moral concerns and physical harm caused by the speakers.
New regulations cap volume at 120 decibels when sound horeg trucks are stationary and 80 decibels when moving.
