CD Review: I Made Arnawa & I Dewa Putu Berata's 'Returning Minimalism: New Works For Balinese gamelan gong kebyar'

I Made Arnawa & I Dewa Putu Berata
Returning Minimalism: New Works For Balinese gamelan gong kebyar
Vital Records

I Made Arnawa and I Dewa Putu Berata are two musicians that make up the Seka Gong Taruna Mekar and Cudamani Ensembles from Bali, Indonesia. Returning Minimalism... is an extension of Terry Riley's 1964 work, "In C", a pivotal piece--and arguably the first minimalist composition. Track one, "In Deng," by I Made Arnawa, is a twenty-four minute composition that includes gamelan instruments, such as reong, trompong, gangsa, suling, jublag, jegogan, gong, kempur, and kenong. The metallic overtones are arranged in a fast-paced rhythm with shimmering gamelan sounds that mimic a metal balafon or vibraphone with starkly, higher-pitched sounds. The music is instrumental and it takes on a new approach to performance, since the album accentuates improvisational and creative energies that defy traditional modes. "In Ding" is the second and final track, but it is performed by I Dewa Putu Berata. This track was mostly instrumental, except for vocal accompaniment by Emiko Saraswati Susilo. "In Ding" was more improvisationala range of one tone. The crystal clear tones of the gamelan instruments are iconic, trance-inducing, and meditative. The music is ideal for Balinese musical studies and graduate students with a background in musical notation. Extensive liner notes are included in English. ~ Matthew Forss  

CD Review: The Music of Burma

Nai Htaw Paing Ensemble
Mon Music of Burma
Fire Museum Records

The traditional music of Burma is diverse, and in some cases, has been in danger of disappearing from today's society. In response, ensemble leader and assistant lecturer at Yangon Cultural University, Nai Htaw Paing, works to revive the music of the Mon people throughout Burma and the world. The Mon people actually comprise about 2% of the total population of Burma. The musical culture of the Mon people is rich in history and instrumentation. The Mon people are not immune to the musical influences of neighboring Thailand and Cambodia. As a result, the instrumentation is similar in appearance and sound, which includes a zither, gongs, string fiddle, xylophone, reed-oboe, and bamboo flutes. Vocals are included, though sparingly. This is mostly an instrumental work that should not be passed up. The 13 tracks are representative of the Mon culture and are not modernized to Western tunings or modern beats. Fans of traditional recordings of Southeast Asian ensemble music should acquire this album for their collection. This recording is limited to 500 copies, so it won't last long. Spellbinding! ~ Matthew Forss