Thee Marloes began in Surabaya, Indonesia, with guitarist Sinatrya Dharaka and drummer Tommy Satwick, who found common ground in hip-hop, soul and reggae. When singer and keyboardist Natassya Sianturi joined them, everything fell into place. Together they create soul music with smooth basslines, organ, guitar and plenty of space for Sianturi’s warm voice. She sings in Indonesian and English about love, loss and everything that doesn’t always fit into words.On their 2024 debut album ‘Perak’, their love for classic soul came through clearly. That remains the foundation on the follow-up ‘Di Hotel Malibu’, but the trio now alternates between understated ballads and light-hearted, danceable tracks with greater ease. Their Indonesian background also comes through more distinctly. For instance, ‘Boru’ is sung entirely in Batak, a language from North Sumatra, whilst ‘Under the Silver Moon’ and ‘I’d Be Lost’ are clearly aimed at the dance floor. The album was created following two years in which Thee Marloes toured the world, yet remained close to where the band began: Surabaya.