Java: Court Gamelan
World
| Sep 2003
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2004-04-28
Reviewed 2004-04-28
“Java: Court Gamelan"
Nonesuch Explorer, 1971
WOW! The royal court music of Yogyakarta, in central Java, is revealed in this field recording. There are four court ensembles in the region, each with a distinct style. This one is the Paku Alaman, and its sound is large and rich. The ensemble uses gongs, xylophones, strings, drums, a flute, and two vocal groups. The liner notes give one of the clearest explanations of gamelan I’ve ever seen.
(Trivia: copies of the first track are currently leaving the solar system as part of the famous "golden records" on board the Voyager space probes!)
Fo’s picks: 1, 3
1. 04:46 – haunting, slow, many layers sliding over each other. Gorgeous hypnotic gongs, contrasting male & female vocals… simply incredible music!
2. 18:28 – slow, somber choral piece, vocals a bit harsh. Not much variation over time.
3. 19:40 – fabulous meditative atmosphere: gongs, female voice, slow and quiet with great depth (the space must be huge), completely sucks you in! Quick end.
4. 02:07 – pretty gongs at a deliberate pace, speeds and slows. I wish it were longer.
[ Fo ] - 4/28/04
Nonesuch Explorer, 1971
WOW! The royal court music of Yogyakarta, in central Java, is revealed in this field recording. There are four court ensembles in the region, each with a distinct style. This one is the Paku Alaman, and its sound is large and rich. The ensemble uses gongs, xylophones, strings, drums, a flute, and two vocal groups. The liner notes give one of the clearest explanations of gamelan I’ve ever seen.
(Trivia: copies of the first track are currently leaving the solar system as part of the famous "golden records" on board the Voyager space probes!)
Fo’s picks: 1, 3
1. 04:46 – haunting, slow, many layers sliding over each other. Gorgeous hypnotic gongs, contrasting male & female vocals… simply incredible music!
2. 18:28 – slow, somber choral piece, vocals a bit harsh. Not much variation over time.
3. 19:40 – fabulous meditative atmosphere: gongs, female voice, slow and quiet with great depth (the space must be huge), completely sucks you in! Quick end.
4. 02:07 – pretty gongs at a deliberate pace, speeds and slows. I wish it were longer.
[ Fo ] - 4/28/04
Recent airplay
Gending 2, Ketawang
Cafe Nakhil — Jan 31, 2019
Gending 1
"Live-In Your Ear..." Studio Z Broadcast pt.1 — Jun 29, 2004
Ketawang
The Sheltering Sky — Jun 20, 2004
Gending 2
"No Cover, No Minimum In Your Ear..." subbing for Fo — May 21, 2004
Ketawang
No Cover, No Minimum — May 14, 2004
Ketawang
15 Miles til Sunday — May 08, 2004
Charting
2004-05-03 — 2004-07-05
Reggae/World
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jul 4 | 1 |
| Jun 27 | 1 |
| May 23 | 1 |
| May 16 | 1 |
| May 9 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Ketawang | ||
| 2. | Gending 1 | ||
| 3. | Gending 2 | ||
| 4. | Bubaran |