Potent and gorgeus gamelan music
One of my favorite gamelan albums. It never ceases to amaze me the timbral density of this ensemble and that slight irregularity of the pulse that makes the music feel like an ocean of sounds. The melodies are another of the strengths of this music, and convey a melancholy that goes from the soft to the heartbreaking. This music always has something to offer for active listening and is incredibly evocative. Gamelan is one of the musical wonders of the world. -huichilobitos
Wasitodiningrat and this select ensemble of musicians string together an enchanting collection of Gamelan music that is both powerful and strange. It’s dominated by dissonant harmonies and bulky, mesmerizing compositions that feel totally displaced in time. I feel like I’m stepping into another dimension whenever I put this album on, which is just about the best you could hope for when it comes to foreign genres.
Even for the style, which I am only vaguely acquainted with, this sounds so unique from the Gamelan music I was introduced to. Its instrumental components are largely string based, and the vocals on this album are by no means understated. On this album’s longest selection “Ketawang gending Purnomo Sidhi” (I will be using the complete title for none of these), a single vocalist dominates the twenty minute runtime, supported by this liminal melody and the occasional flourishes of wind that give the piece a unique emotional tranquility. It contrasts rather beautifully with its preceding cut, which is not only the shortest song on the record, but also the most traditional by Gamelan standards, being almost wholly percussion based. Still, the metallic tones, dissonant as they are, never reach the shrill cacophony of the genre's more traditional works, and maintain a healthy balance with the vocalists at play.
Back to track five though; the tempo fluctuation across this piece is near constant, but never distractingly so. The band throws in a series of rhythmic embellishments that keep the song engaging, such as these polyrhythmic hand claps, or subtle hand drums. This is a technique they routinely employ for the albums longest songs, particularly on the second and third selection, and it’s a remarkable exercise in sustaining tension. I don’t think I can praise this particular group of musicians enough. The songs here are so dynamic, and so layered, and yet each instrument pokes through at the ideal opportunity. The mix is particularly complimentary; in all this album’s seventy-minute runtime, there isn’t a blemish to be found.
Of course the compositions themselves are just as stellar. The late K.R.T. is laudable just as much in his writing as his band of musicians are. He has a knack for structure and sequencing that is surprising with the genre he channels it toward. The opening track is a particularly striking compositional feat, leading with a simple chorus of bells before transitioning into the vocal and string arrangements that make up much of the record. I try not to use this word when describing regional music, but it is admittedly very eerie, and I mean that in the best way possible. I think the last three-track run on the album is maybe the most standard compositionally speaking, and if anything bars this album from perfection, it would be that. I can give subtle props to “Ketawang Cokrowala” for having some of the strangest vocal lines on the entire record, where it sounds like the entire male section performs a glissando between notes.
K. R. T. Wasitodiningrat
The music of K.R.T. Wasitodiningrat
Gamelan Sekar Tunjung
CMP Records 3007
Even for the style, which I am only vaguely acquainted with, this sounds so unique from the Gamelan music I was introduced to. Its instrumental components are largely string based, and the vocals on this album are by no means understated. On this album’s longest selection “Ketawang gending Purnomo Sidhi” (I will be using the complete title for none of these), a single vocalist dominates the twenty minute runtime, supported by this liminal melody and the occasional flourishes of wind that give the piece a unique emotional tranquility. It contrasts rather beautifully with its preceding cut, which is not only the shortest song on the record, but also the most traditional by Gamelan standards, being almost wholly percussion based. Still, the metallic tones, dissonant as they are, never reach the shrill cacophony of the genre's more traditional works, and maintain a healthy balance with the vocalists at play.
Back to track five though; the tempo fluctuation across this piece is near constant, but never distractingly so. The band throws in a series of rhythmic embellishments that keep the song engaging, such as these polyrhythmic hand claps, or subtle hand drums. This is a technique they routinely employ for the albums longest songs, particularly on the second and third selection, and it’s a remarkable exercise in sustaining tension. I don’t think I can praise this particular group of musicians enough. The songs here are so dynamic, and so layered, and yet each instrument pokes through at the ideal opportunity. The mix is particularly complimentary; in all this album’s seventy-minute runtime, there isn’t a blemish to be found.
Of course the compositions themselves are just as stellar. The late K.R.T. is laudable just as much in his writing as his band of musicians are. He has a knack for structure and sequencing that is surprising with the genre he channels it toward. The opening track is a particularly striking compositional feat, leading with a simple chorus of bells before transitioning into the vocal and string arrangements that make up much of the record. I try not to use this word when describing regional music, but it is admittedly very eerie, and I mean that in the best way possible. I think the last three-track run on the album is maybe the most standard compositionally speaking, and if anything bars this album from perfection, it would be that. I can give subtle props to “Ketawang Cokrowala” for having some of the strangest vocal lines on the entire record, where it sounds like the entire male section performs a glissando between notes.
Try not to let yourself get caught up in the idiosyncratic nature of this LP if you can manage. This is the type of music that rewards an attentive listen, unimpaired by the wandering mind. I will not pretend that I can do this particularly easily, but I can still endorse this record enough in being some of the most aurally stunning music from Southeast Asia. -Theisbetterthanyou
K. R. T. Wasitodiningrat
The music of K.R.T. Wasitodiningrat
Gamelan Sekar Tunjung
CMP Records 3007
Contents:
1. Gending: Corobalen, minggah ketawang Basonto (laras pelog, paten enem) 8:46
2. Ketawang: Wedyasmoro (laras pelog, patet lima) 8:30
3. Ladrang: Sri-Duhito (laras pelog, patet barang) 9:56
4. Lancaran: Orde Baru (laras pelog, patet barang) 3:02
5. Ketawang gending: Purnomo Sidhi (laras slendro, patet sanga) 19:48
6. Lancaran: Penghijauan (laras slendro, patet manyura) 5:36
7. Ketawang: Cokrowala (laras slendro, patet sanga) 11:14
8. Ketawang: Angleng (laras slendro, patet sanga) 5:02
Performers: Djoko Walujo (rebab), Nuryanta (gender barung), Haryono (gender panerus), Sunyoto (kendang), Mrsudi S. Kar (bonang banung), Kartiman (bonang panerus), Bambang Triatmaja (slenthem), Y. Subawa (demung), Gethuk (saron barung), Sarjono (saron barung), Asal Sugiyarto S. Kar (peking, saron penerus), Sukisno (demung), Surono (suling), Bambang Sriatmaja (siter), Gandung Jatmika (ketuk, kenong), Agung Nugraha (kempul, gong), Teguh (gambang); Ibu Jumeri, Ibu Edris, Sutresni, Liliawati, Tayem (female vocalists); Djoko Susena, Untung Mulyana, Sunardi, Timbul (male vocalists)
Playing time: 71'51"
Recording date: September 1990 (Yogyakarta)
This is innovative music, primarily in the way it compresses forms into a smaller space and explores some new sonorities. However, it is thoroughly rooted in the Javanese classical idiom, and is one of the finest examples of "fusion" music (if one would even call it that) from any world tradition. The music is engaging and throught-provoking. This disc remains highly recommended.
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