Indonesian keyboard star Dwiki Dharmawan returns following
his 2015 MoonJune Records debut, the more fusion-heavy So Far, So Close, with
the even more ambitious Pasar Klewer. This vibrant, acoustic piano-driven
two-CD set features the cream of Britain's younger expat crop, blending with
Indonesian musicians to create a passionate, seamless cultural
cross-pollination.
Bassist Yaron Stavi and drummer and percussionist Asaf Sirkis
form the core trio with Dharmawan, while reed multi-instrumentalist Gilad
Atzmon, Gamelan musical virtuoso Aris Daryono and guitarists Nicolas Meier and
Mark Wingfield all make significant contributions to several tracks. Italian
singer Boris Savoldelli also guests on two tunes, including a reinvention of
Robert Wyatt's "Forest," and the Jess Jegog Gamelan Orchestra and
singer Peni Candra Rini bring cultural verisimilitude to Dharmawan's radical
rearrangement of the traditional "Lir Ilir."
MoonJune Records' Leonardo Pavkovic describes Dharmawan as
"one of Indonesia's most prominent musicians; a cultural icon in his
homeland and accomplished pianist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, performer
and peace activist. A true cultural ambassador of his beloved country, Dwiki
has forged a very successful thirty-plus year career, performing in over sixty
countries with solo and collective projects."
So Far, So Close (2015) was Dharmawan's pan-cultural, fusion
powerhouse MoonJune debut, but for his second MoonJune effort, Dharmawan wanted
to try something different. "Indonesia is the place of 'ultimate
diversity,'" the pianist says. "Here, the urban cultures accelerate
the 'acculturation' process, which generates changes in cultural patterns and
creates new forms of musical expression. Pasar Klewer is the answer to my
search for 'the difference,' and also a valuable answer to our modern crises
and urban uprooting. The album's distinctive sound originates from an ancient
Gamelan tonal system called Salendro, known in the Karawitan traditional music
of the Sundanese, Javanese and Balinese. Based on the Gamelan tonal system, I
also adapted, as my inspiration, other musical elements from all over the
Indonesian archipelago, as well as the western diatonic system."
Pasar Klewar's exhilarating opening title track, indeed,
possesses a microtonal-informed melody drawn unmistakably from Dharmawan's
cultural roots; but its modal nature also affords the pianist and his band
mates the freedom to explore everything from Metheny-esque landscapes (though
Wingfield's heavily overdriven electric guitar provides a completely
non-Metheny vibe during his light-speed solo) to a mid-song shift in mood,
where Stavi and Sirkis drive Dharmawan's post-Coltrane, Tyner-via-Beirach-through-Corea
exploration of spiritual freedom with similar passion and fire.
Daryono takes an impressive vocal/rebab (three-stringed
violin) solo before some empathic three-way interplay amongst the core trio
leads to a thoroughly musical drum solo reaching deep into the heart of the
song before Stavi and Dharmawan re-enter, bringing this twelve-minute epic to a
finish with another brilliant piano solo of grand proportions. Cross-pollinated
with Wingfield's additional fiery interaction, the music builds to such a
climactic peak that, when it suddenly comes to a stop, the band members
shouting "Yeah!!" is left to conclude the track, reflecting the
energy clearly felt in the studio.
Its overall freedom may come as a surprise to fans of the
more easily digestible So Far, So Close...though that's not to suggest Pasar
Klewar is lacking in beauty, flat-out lyricism or eminent appeal.
"Interaction with each other is very important, as each musician
contributes an energy that then coalesces into an explosion of energy
together," enthuses Dharmawan. "It is not always easy for me to
achieve my musical journey's goal, but I always enjoy the process of the
search. So Far, So Close represented my musical passion as a young, growing
musician; now I feel more mature in exploring my musical inspirations...and I
think that this is will be never-ending journey."
If So Far, So Close and even more ambitious Pasar Klewar are
any indication, then this is very good news for those fortunate enough to be
hearing this remarkable Indonesian artist and a group that may have come
together for the very first time in the studio to play Dharmawan's music, but
came ready-made with the intrinsic chemistry so important to music this
intuitive/interpretive. If there's any justice in the world, the name Dwiki
Dharmawan will soon be on the lips of jazz fans around the world and Pasar
Klewar the album that turned this Indonesian star into an internationally
renowned jazz figure.
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