When discussing the development of this pack, producer Tristan Arp shared that, “The production of Gamelan Origins and its accompanying collection, Gamelan Abstractions hinged on the selection of the right Indonesian ensemble who’d be willing to share the sacred sound of their orchestra. Among Gamelan Semara Ratih and its leader, Anom, I found new friends who I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. They have been open-hearted, enthusiastic, and trusting of me to produce the project with sensitivity and respect.”
While the majority of the pieces in the gamelan ensemble are bronze mallet instruments and often referred to simply as “gamelan,” there’s a variety of distinct instruments with their own names. The ugal and gangsa consist of bronze bars played with a wooden hammer, while the reyong consists of bronze discs that produce a more rounded mid-range tone.
Gangsa is the high Javanese word for gamelan, formed either from the words tembaga and rejasa referring to the materials used in bronze gamelan construction (copper and tin) or tiga and sedasa referring to their proportions (three and ten).
Arp says, “The sound of the reyong is my favorite in the ensemble and the multi-sample Ableton instrument I created allows everyone to compose their own parts with its voice.” Beyond mallet instruments, the gamelan orchestra also includes a flute (the suling), which incorporates circular breathing where breaths aren’t taken for minutes at a time. They also play hand drums called kendang and a large gong, providing the deepest low-end of the ensemble.
Gamelan Semara Ratih is no ordinary ensemble. Arp says, “Its members are among the best Indonesian musicians in the world and Anom’s [the orchestra lead] original compositions for the group are a progressive hybrid of traditional Indonesian aesthetics and modern experimentation. Their work, like that of most gamelan ensembles, is accompanied by dance performances that incorporate intricate costumes and reenact Hindu and Animist legends. Should you ever travel to Bali, make it a point to experience their world of sound and dance.”
