Spirited, unusual program of world music features recent works for Javanese gamelan by the Vancouver ensemble formerly known as Gamelan Madu Sari.

Vancouver's Gamelan Alligator Joy offers a varied program of recent works for Javanese gamelan, western instruments and voices by the ensemble's longtime member-composers. Formerly known as Gamelan Madu Sari, and now performing on a new set of instruments (thus the name-change), the group has two previous releases of original compositions on Songlines, 'New Nectar (2004) and 'Hive' (2010). 'Penumbra' collects compositions and a puppet theater piece created during the 2010s.

There's a wide variety of styles and approaches here. Some pieces innovate from within the great tradition of Javanese gamelan, such as Sutrisno Hartana's 'Bahureksa'. Most make use of the instruments' sonic possibilities to expand into new areas of expression, combining different aspects of western art music with a deep knowledge and appreciation of Javanese forms.

Some examples: Andreas Kahre's 'Let N = N' forsakes mallets and beaters for fingertips on bronze. Mark Parlett's 'Peregrinations in Palindromnia' is a spoken-word meditation on nature, time and mortality that eventually retraces its steps, textually and musically. Michael O'Neill's 'Mode of Attunement' features a piano retuned to the gamelan's pitches; the sonic interplay is ear-catching. The longest piece is a condensed version of O'Neill's puppet play 'Grotto: Ventriloquial Investigations'; even more than the other works it integrates a range of musical ideas, weaving an intricate musical support for a series of dialogues that playfully investigate the eternal philosophical questions.

'Penumbra' presents a rich, East-West world music/performance art menu, its 80 minutes best experienced perhaps in shorter, concentrated listening sessions.

Track Listing

• Bahureksa aka Kaili-Van-Java
• Dice Over Easy
• 96 Tiers
• Let N = N
• Mode of Attunement
• Peregrinations in Palindromnia
• Grotto: Ventriloquial Investigations

Additional Details

Label: Songlines

Genre: World

Run Time: 79:59 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 05/23/25

UPC: 774355241127