Rumah Batu
Reviews
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2018-12-06
Reviewed 2018-12-06
Reviewed: 2018-01-03
Genre: World
FCCs: none
Review: Indonesian fusion music. There are so many colors and textures augmenting the sonically, culturally and stylistically far-reaching quintet, assembled by Dharmawan, with able assistance from local Indonesian musicians, that it becomes almost impossible to identify high points on a record that is, by turns, lyrically beautiful, compositionally focused and fiercely free. It would be a challenge to find an album that, in its marriage of stratospheric atmospherics and Indonesian colors, creates a world of it’s own
If You Like: Egberto Gismonti, Chick Corea, Cecil Taylor, Alan Holdsworth, Yusef Lateef, Joe Farrell, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan, Flora Purim, Nana Vasconcelos
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Rintak Rebana (10:39) – guitar starts> slow jam with flute swings uptempo> morphs into slow space jam> morphs into rocking space jam> crescendo & melody shift> uptempo jam> piano solo> uptempo jam> morphs into slow space jam> bounces up into crescendo end
2/ Paris Barantai (11:43) – piano starts> uptempo jam & song> piano solo slows to midtempo jam> guitar solo> song> flute solo to stop
*3/ Impenan (8:20) – piano/percussion starts> slow jam with flute up front> slow song with soaring female vocal> slow fade
*4/ Janger (5:59) – percussion starts> slow jam swings to midtempo with flute up front> guitar solo> piano solo> percussion duet with flute swings to fast tempo> fast jam> crescendo end
*5/ Rumah Batu Suite - Part 1 – Kaili (12:24) – synth/vocals start> slow song with male vocal & chorus with intersecting vocals builds to midtempo jam & song> builds in volume & intensity> slows to slow jam without vocals> piano solo> slow jam with cello> slow jam> slow fade
**6/ Rumah Batu Suite - Part 2 – Perjalanan (14:14) – bass starts> slow jam> chorus kicks in> slow space jam> uptempo piano solo builds to fast tempo> fast space jam> bass solo> slow space jam> slow fade> piano solo> piano/percussion duet> fade
**7/ Samarkand (7:40) – full band starts> midtempo jam with electric guitar & synth up front> uptempo jam> guitar solo> piano solo> uptempo jam> synth solo> uptempo jam with flute on top> quick fade
***8/ Selamatkan Orang Utan (7:16) – guitar starts> uptempo jam & song with male vocal & chorus builds in volume and complexity> fade
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Genre: World
FCCs: none
Review: Indonesian fusion music. There are so many colors and textures augmenting the sonically, culturally and stylistically far-reaching quintet, assembled by Dharmawan, with able assistance from local Indonesian musicians, that it becomes almost impossible to identify high points on a record that is, by turns, lyrically beautiful, compositionally focused and fiercely free. It would be a challenge to find an album that, in its marriage of stratospheric atmospherics and Indonesian colors, creates a world of it’s own
If You Like: Egberto Gismonti, Chick Corea, Cecil Taylor, Alan Holdsworth, Yusef Lateef, Joe Farrell, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan, Flora Purim, Nana Vasconcelos
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Rintak Rebana (10:39) – guitar starts> slow jam with flute swings uptempo> morphs into slow space jam> morphs into rocking space jam> crescendo & melody shift> uptempo jam> piano solo> uptempo jam> morphs into slow space jam> bounces up into crescendo end
2/ Paris Barantai (11:43) – piano starts> uptempo jam & song> piano solo slows to midtempo jam> guitar solo> song> flute solo to stop
*3/ Impenan (8:20) – piano/percussion starts> slow jam with flute up front> slow song with soaring female vocal> slow fade
*4/ Janger (5:59) – percussion starts> slow jam swings to midtempo with flute up front> guitar solo> piano solo> percussion duet with flute swings to fast tempo> fast jam> crescendo end
*5/ Rumah Batu Suite - Part 1 – Kaili (12:24) – synth/vocals start> slow song with male vocal & chorus with intersecting vocals builds to midtempo jam & song> builds in volume & intensity> slows to slow jam without vocals> piano solo> slow jam with cello> slow jam> slow fade
**6/ Rumah Batu Suite - Part 2 – Perjalanan (14:14) – bass starts> slow jam> chorus kicks in> slow space jam> uptempo piano solo builds to fast tempo> fast space jam> bass solo> slow space jam> slow fade> piano solo> piano/percussion duet> fade
**7/ Samarkand (7:40) – full band starts> midtempo jam with electric guitar & synth up front> uptempo jam> guitar solo> piano solo> uptempo jam> synth solo> uptempo jam with flute on top> quick fade
***8/ Selamatkan Orang Utan (7:16) – guitar starts> uptempo jam & song with male vocal & chorus builds in volume and complexity> fade
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Recent airplay
Janger
Cafe Nakhil — Jan 31, 2019
Samarkano
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 31, 2019
Selamatkan Orang Utan, Rintak Rebana
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 29, 2019
Samarkano
old Fart At Play — Jan 25, 2019
Janger, Paris Barantai, Samarkano
Clean Copper Radio & Hot Topics — Jan 22, 2019
Selamatkan Orang Utan
Hanging in the Bone Yard — Jan 17, 2019
Charting
2019-01-09 — 2019-03-13
Reggae/World
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Feb 3 | 2 |
| Jan 27 | 2 |
| Jan 20 | 2 |
| Jan 13 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Rintak Rebana | ||
| 2. | Paris Barantai | ||
| 3. | Impenan | ||
| 4. | Janger | ||
| 5. | Rumah Batu Suite - Part 1 - Kaili | ||
| 6. | Rumah Batu Suite - Part 2 - Perjalanan | ||
| 7. | Samarkano | ||
| 8. | Selamatkan Orang Utan |