Giri Kedaton
Projet Bali X
An explosive and spicy mix of traditional balinese music with urban and world sounds, going from surf rock to electro-experimental, heavy metal, cuban bata drums, techno, film music, and even Radiohead.
It’s not fusion: it’s us. The Montreal-based Balinese gamelan group Giri Kedaton unites gamelan gong kebyar and pop, rock, heavy metal, electronics in their ambitious Projet Bali X.
If you’re fed up with all the New-Age-Mediation-lulling-ambient world music, Projet Bali X can help you for sure. Giri Kedaton, founded in 1994 in Canada and known for superb presentations of traditional Balinese gamelan music, took things a step further in 2007 with this unique project. The album features 7 tracks, including six almost-epic original compositions by Giri Kedaton’s multi-instrumentalist members. This bold new music from the Montreal musicans is an echo to their own ecclectic musical backgrounds, mixing surf rock of the 60s, pop music, heavy metal and electronics with the multi-layered structures, fervent rhythms and unique sounds of the gamelan gong kebyar.
«It’s as if we were a big rock band », says Giri Kedaton’s codirector Éric Vandal. « We perform “Bali X” on stage and on the album as our music, the music that represents us. We’re all Canadians, all about 25 years old, we listen to all kinds of music. We don’t play gamelan for a need of exotism – it’s music that reaches and unites us. »
Projet Bali X – an album that will take you from the meditation spot to the dance floor!
More info on us, our shows and Projet Bali X at www.girikedaton.com and myspace.com/girikedaton
Song infos:
Kotak Musik
Once heard, you won’t get it out of your head. A catchy tune par excellence. Come and sing along to the melodies of our music boxes (kotak musik)!
Bali Hillbillies
Mixing traditional blues, surf rock a la « The Ventures », references to Ennio Morricone’s film scores and the “duelling banjos scene” from the 1972 movie Deliverance, Bali Hillbillies gets the gong kebyar challenged to some colourful musical duels. Yeeeeha!
Rituel du citadin
Techno rhythms and balinese instruments just seem to be made for each other in this trippy tune. A tribute to the world’s dance floors!
Jembatan Métal
If this doesn’t make you shake your booty and bang your head – sorry, we can’t help you. This is not music for your nanny…
Kid A
Yes, it’s Radiohead. And without any doubt the only interpretation of their music on... a gamelan!
Le chat noir
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s novel « The Black Cat », this piece sets to music the good and bad tempers of the dark main character, mingling gamelan and electronic effects.
Raksasa X-cess
A frenetic tune integrating afro-cuban rhythms on batà drums and inspirations of progressive rock evocating Bali’s demons and wicked Raksasa witches...
World: Indonesian