The Sastro

The Sastro is an Indonesian band that originated from a campus event called Oktaria in 2001, marking their official formation date on October 20, 2001. The band was formed somewhat spontaneously when members, mostly students from the IKJ art school, were left behind their group on a trip to Anyer beach. To pass the time and shake off disappointment, Ritchie invited Sastro to start a band featuring Sastro’s original songs. The initial lineup included Sastro, Ritchie, Rege on drums, and Ari Buy on bass guitar. They began practicing in a graphic arts classroom with makeshift instruments and soon moved to a rehearsal studio near their campus. Over time, they briefly expanded with additional players but mainly stayed a compact group. Their debut album, released in June 2005, included tracks like “Sejati,” “Kaktus,” and “Lari 100,” cementing their place in the Indonesian indie music scene.

The band is known for its indie and alternative sound, reflecting the creative energy of young visual art students translating their creativity into music. The Sastro’s music captures the feel of their beginnings and continues to resonate with a campus and indie audience, as evidenced by their remastered albums and continuing releases like *Vol. 1 (Remastered)* and *Ekstasi (Remastered)* from the mid-2000s and later remixes such as “Lari Seratus (Anggoro Remix)”.