Bali: Music From the Morning D

Bali: Music from the Morning of the World
Nonesuch Explorer, 1967/2003

Strong collection of field recordings made by David Lewiston in 1966. The recording conditions weren't always optimal (for example, you can hardly hear the melody in the first part of track 1, while the drums will blast your speakers out), but the music is truly outstanding. The disc includes a variety of gamelan styles, a sample of the famous kecak monkey chant, and more. Excellent.

Try any track. Fo's Picks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8

1. 7:32 – amazing shimmering gongs and explosions of rhythm – first 2 mins very lo-fi
2. 5:18 – very loose: flute, jaw harp, drums. In several phases; the "frog song" is wild!
3. 2:35 – relaxed, loping chorus of flutes and percussion; very appealing
4. 5:22 – full gamelan ensemble; fast and hypnotic
5. 1:48 – solo girl's voice, exotic scale; a cool interlude
6. 7:58 – the best of the gamelan pieces for variety and fidelity; several tempos/moods
7. 4:20 –The monkey dance: 200 men chanting like a chattering monkey! Awesome.
8. 6:40 – music for the shadow play: excellent gender (xylophone) weaving

[ Fo ] - 9/9/03