Tag Archives: gamelan

numün’s Book of Beyond

Posted on 13th January 2023 by Gary Whitehouse

The New York psychedelic ambient trio numün’s sophomore release is, for me, a grower. I like it more each time I listen to it. Their debut Voyage au Soleil was one of my favorite albums of 2020, and on the … Continue reading →

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Uun Budiman and the Jugala Gamelan Orchestra, Banondari: New Directions in Jaipongan

Posted on 22nd November 2020 by Robert

One realizes, after a while, that popular music, while it may appear in many guises, has certain things in common. Sometimes it is subject matter, sometimes it is more elusive. But, more on that later. Jaipongan is a newly designated … Continue reading →

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numün’s voyage au soleil

Posted on 10th September 2020 by Gary Whitehouse

They had me at “Morton Subotnick.” The 1960s electronic music pioneer is listed as one of the influences of numün on voyage au soleil, their inaugural full-length release. I listened and was captivated. Numün is a New York-based trio of … Continue reading →

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Various Artists’ Gamelan of Central Java XV: Returning Minimalism: In Nem

Posted on 29th December 2017 by Robert

The subtitle of this disc, “Returning Minimalism,” denotes a key fact about twentieth-century American minimalism: it makes extensive use of the formal elements of gamelan. The circular structures, repetitive melodies, intricate rhythms, and incremental modulations of tone are all hallmarks … Continue reading →

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Various Artists’ Gamelan of Central Java XIV: Ritual Sounds of Sekaten

Posted on 10th March 2017 by Robert

Ritual Sounds of Sekaten is a pendant to Volume II in the series Gamelan of Central Java, presenting three more examples of the music played for the Islamic religious festival of Sekaten in Java. The first two tracks are the … Continue reading →

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Various Artists’ Gamelan of Central Java XII: Pangkur One/XIII: Pangkur Two

Posted on 11th February 2017 by Robert

“Pangkur” denotes a kind of music in the Javanese classical canon that can take many forms — sung poetry, court dances, and many other idioms — and can be performed in either slendro or pelog scales. It is perhaps the … Continue reading →

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Various Artists’ Gamelan of Central Java, XI: Music of Remembrance

Posted on 4th February 2017 by Robert

This volume of the series Gamelan of Central Java presents an interesting conundrum: in a cultural tradition that has ideas of death, dying, and commemoration that differ radically from those we in the West hold, what is music suitable for … Continue reading →

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Various Artists’ Gamelan of Central Java, X: Sindhen Trio

Posted on 21st October 2016 by Robert

“Sindhen” refers to the solo part in a gamelan, usually sung by a woman pesindhen (soloist). In this collection, part of the extensive series produced by John Noise Manis on the gamelan of Central Java, we are presented with two … Continue reading →

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Various Artists, Gamelan of Central Java, Volume VIII: Court Music Treasures/ Gamelan of Central Java IX: Songs of Wisdom and Love

Posted on 16th September 2016 by Robert

Volume VIII of the excellent and ongoing series of Central Javanese Gamelan produced by John Noise Manis is a pendant to the sixth volume, subtitled Kraton Surakarta. It represents an elaboration on the classical traditions of Javanese court music and, … Continue reading →

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Various Artists, Gamelan of Central Java, Vols. V-VII

Posted on 21st August 2016 by Robert

Vol. V: Gaya Yogyakarta (Felmay, 2005) Vol. VI: Kraton Surakarta (Felmay, 2006) Vol. VII: Edge of Tradition (Felmay, 2006) Within that huge congeries of islands that we know as Indonesia are two major traditions of classical music, those of Bali … Continue reading →

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