Krakatau, one of the jazz supergroups in the country, was founded in 1985 by Dharmawan, a classically-trained musician, and Budhi Dharma, who had just returned from music studies in the U.S
Later, veteran bassist Donny Soehendra and rock drummer Budhy Haryono joined.
In subsequent years, some of the country's best musicians entered the lineup, among them session drummer Gilang Ramadhan, jazz prodigy Indra Lesmana and female singer Trie Utami. Krakatau made its international debut at the 1985 Yamaha Bands Explosion in Tokyo where Dharmawan bagged a Grand Prix as the most talented keyboardist.
the band has performed in 19 countries on four continents, including some of the most respected events in jazz, such as the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.