The alter ego of multi-disciplinary artist Mohd Jayzuan is back – and this time, he’s walking barefoot into the unknown.
A Traveller’s Manifesto, In Musical Form
Titled “langlang” – an old Malay word for “traveller” – this second release from Joni Mustaf isn’t just an album. It’s a slow-burning meditation on life’s transience and the restless pull towards something new, something untethered.
“We’re all just travellers on earth,” says Jayzuan, and “langlang” reflects that truth through raw soundscapes and poetic track titles, capturing both physical journeys and internal detours. It’s not aiming for perfection; it’s chasing honesty.
Unlike his decade-long process for “Qurfusha,” “langlang” came together quickly. Written in October 2024, followed by rehearsals and recording wrapped by January 2025, Jayzuan says, “Everything was already in my head,” emphasising a natural, unfiltered approach with no overthinking or overproducing.
Stripping Back To The Core, One Dreamlike Track At A Time
Collaborating with Mohd Hazriq of Harmacy Band, Jayzuan kept “langlang” beautifully minimal – no thick walls of sound, no heavy guitar effects. “We didn’t want to complicate things,” he says. “Simplicity gives it soul.” That lo-fi rawness lends the album a sacred intimacy, like you’ve stumbled into a midnight jam session speaking directly to you.
The song titles themselves – “Sondak,” “Nyelap Sador,” “Pukah” – feel like riddles or subconscious mantras, fragments of something spiritual and unrooted. Together, they mirror Jayzuan’s emotional state: in between places, unanchored but full of meaning.
From Ipoh To London, With Love
“langlang” isn’t just a local release – it’s got its passport stamped. The album is being physically pressed in London, a deliberate move to link Projek Rabak with the wider Malaysian artistic diaspora and the European indie scene. “There are a lot of Malaysian artists based in Europe, and we saw it as a chance to create a more active label,” Jayzuan shares. “London felt like the right place to start.”
The journey doesn’t end there. The album artwork, designed by Projek Rabak’s Iqbal Razak and shot by Dhan Illiani Yusof during Jayzuan’s Berlin stint in 2022, adds a visual chapter to “langlang”’s narrative of movement. It’s not just an album cover – it’s a visual souvenir from a life lived in motion.
What’s Next For Joni Mustaf?
After years of focusing on contemporary art and writing, Jayzuan’s ready to make noise again – this time as Joni Mustaf. While his solo Mohd Jayzuan work takes a pause, you can expect more sonic explorations from this more experimental, emotional side of him.
“langlang” is out now on Projek Rabak’s Bandcamp — stream it, read the lyrics, or grab a copy to support the scene. Dropping on all major platforms on 1st May 2025.
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