Lokananta is the oldest music study in Indonesia has become an important milestone in the development of Nusantara music. Since its inception on October 29, 1956, Lokananta has two major tasks, namely the production and duplication of LPs. Following the times, the studio then produced VHS, an audio cassette, which continued to compact disks. The album from the singer Keroncong Waldjinah became the first cassette produced by Lokananta. The decade of the 1970s and 1980s was a golden era for Lokananta.
In the 1990s, Lokananta entered a dark period because of the emergence of piracy in the music industry. But the lowest point occurred when the Information Department was dissolved. After being liquidated, in 2004 Lokananta was acquired by Perum Percetakan, and officially became a branch office in Solo under the name ‘Surakarta Branch-Lokananta Printing Country Corporation’.
The first time entering the main building, a number of recording master tapes of various sizes hung on the wall. Here, visitors will be asked for IDR 25,000 entrance tickets, including merchandise in the form of stickers, key chains, booklets, and small canvas bags.
Out of this hall, visitors were then greeted by a green garden complete with a fountain. Javanese song rhythms from loudspeakers accompany along spaces exploration. The first room visited was a place to store gamelan named Kyai Sri Kuncoro Mulyo. This gamelan was made at the time of Prince Diponegoro which had existed since 1920.
The next room is a collection of machines that have been used in Lokananta. The machines were predominantly produced in the 1960s and 1990s. Next to it is a collection of old LPs produced entirely by Lokananta. The entire collection can still be played to date. Move to the next room, a recording studio located in a different building. Just like recording studios in general, this is a soundproof room. Inside are old recording devices, including music consoles that are only two in the world, one in Lokananta and one in London. Until now, Lokananta Recording Studio is still used to record music, especially from indie bands. They are still producing physical releases for their fans amidst the onslaught of digital releases.