When playing gamelan, there is no solo or "I" (self/ego) . Everyone plays as one entity. The whole ensemble is described as one musical instrument. And we have to listen to one another. Often, we play gamelan for own pleasure, like what apriswajaya had mentioned.
you know what's funny? i discovered this video in october 2007 and became totally entranced by it. i actually remember listening to this over and over again and drawing a detailed diagram of its structure... now two and a half years later i am a gamelan (balinese and javanese) geek playing in my school's ensembles and composing music using elements from both traditions.
The sweetness and complexity of the gamelan belies the ability for it to suddenly acquire the nearly heavy-metal aggressiveness and passion shown near the end of this performance.
this is the first time i've ever heard anything so beautiful with just percussion... it blows my mind. the melody is awesome, you can hear it all throughout this video! i love it!
How unfortunate it is that there is no provision for improvisation in this BEAUTIFUL tradition of music! And how wonderful it is to see the musicians possess such a superb sense of understanding with one another so as to produce such a perfectly synchronized piece of music! It is even more wonderful to see the Gamelan, even-though being an oral tradition, being preserved till today in its pristine purity, HATS OFF to the youth!
Beleganjur is processional gamelan. Gong kebyar is an "explosive-sounding" 20th century style. They use cymbals in gong kebyar as well (called ceng-ceng) but since everyone is marching during a beleganjur performance, you will see more of the cymbals.
I gotta say...this is quite brilliant.There is so much music out there besides the corporate garbage we get fed constantly.This here is why youtube is important.
But do remember that Gong Kebyar only started to emerge from the 1910's, a time when the Dutch really began to have a colonial presence on the island, as marked by the puputan (ritual suicide) by the royal families of Denpasar in 1906. So, actually, there wasn't that much "peace" then - there was a lot of societal angst and conflict when this style appeared.
This is actually Tirta Sari from Peliatan. The video is referenced in this article: The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance: [Asia] Asian Music, Vol. 24, No. 2. (Spring - Summer, 1993), pp. 111-188.
This is Tirta Sari from Peliatan. They do world tours occasionally - but for most of the time, they play weekly at the Bale Balerung in Peliatan (near Ubud), Bali.
I missed watching live Baliness gamelan perfomance. It left a deep impression on me. The atmosphere was surreal and the air was electrically charged..so much so that hairs on my skin stood. I believe HryMuscle would agree with me. Nothing beat watching Balinese gamelan live. There are many different types of gamelan throughout Indo-Malay archipelago. I enjoy playing Javanese gamelan and im fortunate to watch Balinese and Sundanese gamelan being played.
Magnificent ensemble work! I love the tempo changes throughout the piece -- such beautiful coherent transitions. A stately, virtuoso performance! Riveting!
Bagus sekali!!! Balinese Gamelan (including Lombok), as opposed to Javanese gamelan, really has the fierceness and rhythmic drive of the other more archaic Southeast Asian gong-drum ensembles such as Philippine Kulintang or Sundanese Kolenang, but had reached such a sophisticated level due to the onset of historic peace on the island! Its like Gong Kebyar is what happens when you reach the pinnacle of gong-drum focused music! Proud to studying it!
As great as this is, and it's TRULY awesome, it does not compare to hearing it live when the vibrations of the instruments pass through your flesh and you can FEEL the sound vibrating your entire body. It is no wonder that so much importance was given to gamelan instruments and that they were felt to contain spirit. Stories abound of supernatural events that have taken place with these instruments.
I got this answer from Vaughan Hatch, an ex-pat gamelan musician from NZ who now lives in Sanur, Bali. He even has a channel here - look for "MekarBhuwana": "this is tirta sari because it is seven keyed and it has blue garuda carvings (gunung jati has red); the keys of the teges instruments look a lot older; the teges ceng2 has a long nose; the teges tuning is also slightly lower on a few notes and it doesn't have the extra low ndang that this orchestra has. salam karawitan, vaughan"
The precision, and range of dynamics is staggering! I realize this video was posted several years ago, but could you tell us the name of this group of musicians? Is it "Peliatan Dance Troupe?" I saw that they made a recording of several songs, but are there other live performances, such as this one, by this same group? I think they are fantastic, and I would love to see more videos of them performing live. Of the many I have seen, they are one of the best!
I also have to analyze it for class (everybody here in MUS 309? hehe), and I like it. It's different, but it's interesting, and I love how they do so much with just percussion.
European composers used to listen to this and ask “how is this considered music?” Because the music so sparsely has harmony (when they do it’s normally kempung or telu which is kempung in inversion) and is dominated by metallic instruments, it’s hard for it to be relatable to Europeans and Americans. What is ironic is that gong kebyar was inspired by western orchestras, they just go much slower than the gamelan in Bali. Appreciate this music, it’s dope af.
great, haunting melodies throughout. i am reminded of the gamelan pieces in the akira soundtrack. are all gamelan groups this good? or are these guys masters of the gamelan? just curious what the average caliber of orchestras like this is.
This is incredibly awesome! I wish the sound and video was a little higher quality though. I have seen a higher quality version of it, and some of the intricacies are lost in this on because of the sound quality.
i like how they have to mute notes with their left hands to keep things from getting dissonant. I can't think of any other instrument works quite the same way, it really makes for some interesting things technique-wise!
+shitcreekpolka Where are you located now? If you're in the US, there might be a Balinese gamelan near you. Just look at the gamelan directory over at the American Gamelan Institute website: gamelan.org/directories/index.html
ya i think so too...thats why i only listen to indie bands...bands like arcade fire and mars volta and fiery furnaces...youve probably never heard of them theyre pretty underground...
This actually isn't the sort of gamelan that Debussy heard; it was a Javanese gamelan that performed at the Exhibition Universelle in Paris in 1889, a much more stately and "static" sounding ensemble. Balinese gamelan at that time was not dissimilar, but this more virtuoso "Kebyar" style didn't evolve until into the twentieth century, and is really much more a Balinese development. There's an amazing book my Michael Tenzer, "Gamelan Gong Kebyar", lots of history & structure, and has CD's.
When playing gamelan, there is no solo or "I" (self/ego) . Everyone plays as one entity. The whole ensemble is described as one musical instrument. And we have to listen to one another. Often, we play gamelan for own pleasure, like what apriswajaya had mentioned.
you know what's funny? i discovered this video in october 2007 and became totally entranced by it. i actually remember listening to this over and over again and drawing a detailed diagram of its structure... now two and a half years later i am a gamelan (balinese and javanese) geek playing in my school's ensembles and composing music using elements from both traditions.
Interesting read, care to share a link of that diagrammatic representation?
I'm 12 years late, may I see that detailed diagram?😊
Do you go to BGSU? Do you know Dr. Harnish?
I have this old VHS, this is performed by Sekaa Gong Tirta Sari. This piece is called Tabuh Sekar Jepun!
I would appreciate any more info on this vhs, as I am searching for a copy
The sweetness and complexity of the gamelan belies the ability for it to suddenly acquire the nearly heavy-metal aggressiveness and passion shown near the end of this performance.
this is the first time i've ever heard anything so beautiful with just percussion... it blows my mind. the melody is awesome, you can hear it all throughout this video! i love it!
Wonderfull Indonesia
How unfortunate it is that there is no provision for improvisation in this BEAUTIFUL tradition of music! And how wonderful it is to see the musicians possess such a superb sense of understanding with one another so as to produce such a perfectly synchronized piece of music! It is even more wonderful to see the Gamelan, even-though being an oral tradition, being preserved till today in its pristine purity, HATS OFF to the youth!
This is still the best gamelan vid on YT.
I think this is the best one: ua-cam.com/video/5ghJJq5yOyI/v-deo.html
(but it's Sundanese, not Balinese) But to each his own.
I love this stuff. There's something so utterly surreal about the sound of the Gamelan and the music played on it that it becomes spiritual.
I've never heard anything like this before. I'm glad I listened to the whole video & searched for more.
Incredible performance, but I appreciate how well shot this footage is too -- really fosters appreciation for the whole ensemble.
This is so metal.
Marc-Olivier Girard it really is.
I was thinking of doing a cover for this.
totally agreed!
the costumes may need some work tho...metal wise.
:)
No chronologically, metal is this.
My dad was teaching in lndonesia and l witness this first hand truly a humble experience
Beleganjur is processional gamelan. Gong kebyar is an "explosive-sounding" 20th century style. They use cymbals in gong kebyar as well (called ceng-ceng) but since everyone is marching during a beleganjur performance, you will see more of the cymbals.
I gotta say...this is quite brilliant.There is so much music out there besides the corporate garbage we get fed constantly.This here is why youtube is important.
this is the best gamelan clip I've found on youtube...........the music is amazing.
This is also awesome : ua-cam.com/video/UEWCCSuHsuQ/v-deo.html
But do remember that Gong Kebyar only started to emerge from the 1910's, a time when the Dutch really began to have a colonial presence on the island, as marked by the puputan (ritual suicide) by the royal families of Denpasar in 1906. So, actually, there wasn't that much "peace" then - there was a lot of societal angst and conflict when this style appeared.
A 3rd grader of mine just described this as "The ultimate Mario music."
The gamelan orchestra was featured in a theme from Super Mario 3D World
XD
ich gerate in Ekstase. ich liebe diese Sounds. Könnte ich den ganzen Tag hören.
Es ist große Kunst !
I completely agree, the first I heard balinese gamelan, I thought, "someone has to do metal covers of balinese music." It would be awesome.
Eddie and Alex Van Halen are both half Indonesian, and I think you can hear quite a bit of influence in Eddie's music
Smokin'. Amazing musicians. Grooving to the max. Thanks for posting this!!!!
This is actually Tirta Sari from Peliatan. The video is referenced in this article:
The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance: [Asia]
Asian Music, Vol. 24, No. 2. (Spring - Summer, 1993), pp. 111-188.
thanks for posting, I really love it. Some phrases remaind me King Crimson or Frank Zappa back in 70´s
They listened to gamelan for inspiration, you know.
Toda una aventura! qué divertido el gamelán.Gracias por compartirlo. Un saludo
This is Tirta Sari from Peliatan. They do world tours occasionally - but for most of the time, they play weekly at the Bale Balerung in Peliatan (near Ubud), Bali.
I missed watching live Baliness gamelan perfomance. It left a deep impression on me. The atmosphere was surreal and the air was electrically charged..so much so that hairs on my skin stood. I believe HryMuscle would agree with me. Nothing beat watching Balinese gamelan live.
There are many different types of gamelan throughout Indo-Malay archipelago. I enjoy playing Javanese gamelan and im fortunate to watch Balinese and Sundanese gamelan being played.
Stunning. I think Gamelan music may be the most advanced non-European musical tradition. The complexity and skill of the players is just wonderful.
Niffiwan agree
ancient Heavy metal!! love it
Magnificent ensemble work! I love the tempo changes throughout the piece -- such beautiful coherent transitions. A stately, virtuoso performance! Riveting!
This is one of THE best videos on UA-cam!!!! I love it!
Sekar Jupung means Flower from Japan!!
Magnificent!!
And so well recorded and filmed!
a masterpiece of human most achieved art form: music!!
This is one of the best gamelan videos on youtube!
平沢進さんから来てしまった...!!!
Bagus sekali!!! Balinese Gamelan (including Lombok), as opposed to Javanese gamelan, really has the fierceness and rhythmic drive of the other more archaic Southeast Asian gong-drum ensembles such as Philippine Kulintang or Sundanese Kolenang, but had reached such a sophisticated level due to the onset of historic peace on the island! Its like Gong Kebyar is what happens when you reach the pinnacle of gong-drum focused music! Proud to studying it!
As great as this is, and it's TRULY awesome, it does not compare to hearing it live when the vibrations of the instruments pass through your flesh and you can FEEL the sound vibrating your entire body. It is no wonder that so much importance was given to gamelan instruments and that they were felt to contain spirit. Stories abound of supernatural events that have taken place with these instruments.
This still is (one of) my favourite video ever!
Still watching this, mesmerized, in 2024
Spectacular. Am moving to Thailand. Will check out Bali on a visa run. Fun!
I got this answer from Vaughan Hatch, an ex-pat gamelan musician from NZ who now lives in Sanur, Bali. He even has a channel here - look for "MekarBhuwana":
"this is tirta sari because it is seven keyed and it has blue garuda carvings (gunung jati has red); the keys of the teges instruments look a lot older; the teges ceng2 has a long nose; the teges tuning is also slightly lower on a few notes and it doesn't have the extra low ndang that this orchestra has.
salam karawitan,
vaughan"
Black in Whiteの他にスノーブラインドもガムラン使われてるよね。
The precision, and range of dynamics is staggering! I realize this video was posted several years ago, but could you tell us the name of this group of musicians? Is it "Peliatan Dance Troupe?" I saw that they made a recording of several songs, but are there other live performances, such as this one, by this same group? I think they are fantastic, and I would love to see more videos of them performing live. Of the many I have seen, they are one of the best!
awesome instrument with a very unique and original sound.
SuperB!
Quite possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.
Video legend nih😅
their timing is flawless.
I also have to analyze it for class (everybody here in MUS 309? hehe), and I like it. It's different, but it's interesting, and I love how they do so much with just percussion.
When the kempli drops it just hits different.
3:30 part of "Black in white"
ua-cam.com/video/ZL6-4odfRuk/v-deo.html
European composers used to listen to this and ask “how is this considered music?” Because the music so sparsely has harmony (when they do it’s normally kempung or telu which is kempung in inversion) and is dominated by metallic instruments, it’s hard for it to be relatable to Europeans and Americans. What is ironic is that gong kebyar was inspired by western orchestras, they just go much slower than the gamelan in Bali. Appreciate this music, it’s dope af.
uhuh sure they did bud
3:30 sounds so nice.
This reminds me of another piece I like called Sekaha Buddaya. LOVE Balinese Gamelan.
great, haunting melodies throughout. i am reminded of the gamelan pieces in the akira soundtrack.
are all gamelan groups this good? or are these guys masters of the gamelan? just curious what the average caliber of orchestras like this is.
i like..!!
so beautiful..!! maju terus budaya bali..!!
This is incredibly awesome! I wish the sound and video was a little higher quality though. I have seen a higher quality version of it, and some of the intricacies are lost in this on because of the sound quality.
this is legit the sound my brain makes when i try to remember what defenestration means
Blows my mind everytime.
Hi, I really love this "song" and I was wondering if this video is part of a whole movie. If it is I'd like to see more of it. All the best Jornt
Great music! Pop and atonal at the same time.
@DaZeuhlUndazir It's called "Sekar Jepun" (Plumeria Blossom).
I don't usually comment on videos but this was amazing, y'all.
This blows me away. It reminds me of "the box" by orbital. Its also a bit like those fast snare rushes that Aphex Twin does.
This sounds so surreal. Beautifully progressive.
Yeah it sounds like death metal or speed metal. I think combining metal music and these gamelans in the right way could be something epic.
Tool's drummer is in Indonesia exploring Gamelan percussion right now... Maybe we'll see it make an appearance in their next album or tour.
Balinese gamelan is awesome. I love hearing nightly rehearsals in Seminak.
this has to be one of the greatest videos on this website
damn these guys are good
the bridge in this piece is haunting
this would be so good as a DnB/breakcore song
Development of high civilization
Amazing - even better when you're in Bali itself!!
This song is called Sekar Jupun fron Indonisia.
This is great, thanks for posting!
I love UA-cam, I get to hear sounds from all over the world.
I've been looking for this video for a while
Best video of Indonesia's Gamelon.
I lve this so much I keep coming back to watch it! Is this available on a DVD by any chance?
I'm back again! :-)
@@JohnLRice The composition is entitled Sekar Jepun (Japanese flower). Usually it is available on Nonsuch Explorers Records.
@@TheIndonesianPride Thanks! :-)
@@JohnLRiceMy pleasure and hope you can find it. There are many records of Balinese gamelan out there but I don't know the album/CD title.
I wonder if any of the people that have commented on this video are actually alive
It's almost like that song is natural, like it came directly from the earth. Amazing. This is when humans amaze me.
Transcendental
Bloody great ! - Love it !
i like how they have to mute notes with their left hands to keep things from getting dissonant. I can't think of any other instrument works quite the same way, it really makes for some interesting things technique-wise!
this is way more interesting, groovy and hip than the dopest electronic music track
Grown men banging pots and pans is my jam baby.
This is great. I love it.
one of the most impressive things ive ever seen
693,266 people viewed this as of 10/7/15, 6:06 pm pacific time yet I was only the 2000th to like it.
"bangs" on and beat!
perfect.
I wish I could join a group or class or something and get to play this music and these instruments.
+shitcreekpolka Where are you located now? If you're in the US, there might be a Balinese gamelan near you. Just look at the gamelan directory over at the American Gamelan Institute website: gamelan.org/directories/index.html
+SiKedek thats really nice of you to comment! Thanks! Im going to look into that.
Gamelan is fascinating music =)
This reminds me of the "drum and bass" genre of electronic music.
Never fail to astound me, this intricate and melodious assault on the senses...
merinding aku dengar nya tinggi sekali budaya indonesia
So basically Gong Kebyar is gamelan's analog of djent
literaly the real speed metal \m/
I love Bali.
I came here not liking gamelan, but I think I'm starting to like it. :)
how are they so good at staying in time tho???? i would've fucked up even if i was just playing quarter notes over this...
!! ❐❍▲ gamelan + weed = nxt lvl ▲❍❐ !!
ya i think so too...thats why i only listen to indie bands...bands like arcade fire and mars volta and fiery furnaces...youve probably never heard of them theyre pretty underground...
Great performance & interesting video. Gamelan is very unique, original & may be something spiritual, orientally Jazz. Thank & many thanks.
This actually isn't the sort of gamelan that Debussy heard; it was a Javanese gamelan that performed at the Exhibition Universelle in Paris in 1889, a much more stately and "static" sounding ensemble. Balinese gamelan at that time was not dissimilar, but this more virtuoso "Kebyar" style didn't evolve until into the twentieth century, and is really much more a Balinese development. There's an amazing book my Michael Tenzer, "Gamelan Gong Kebyar", lots of history & structure, and has CD's.
Not one Cardiacs T-Shirt in sight, surprisingly!