Soniccouture Balinese Gamelan Disc 1

Sampling the unique, magical sound of a Balinese Gamelan is no small undertaking. The 25 instruments that make up The LSO's Semara Dana Gamelan Ensemble had to be recorded in great detail, as if each were to be a sample library in its own right. Any compromise in the number of velocity layers or the round robin alternate samples could result in the whole living, breathing sound losing realism and dynamic expression.


The Professional Edition

The flagship set is composed of single and paired Kontakt versions of the Gamelan instruments (click on picture above). As many of the metallophones are played as a detuned pair, for convenience we have grouped them this way, including KSP scripting to humanise the velocity and timing for a natural response. Paired instruments also feature separate volume and pan controls. Smaller percussive instruments like the Kempli are grouped together, with KSP level and pan controls for fine tuning.
Natural Programming and Lifelike Articulation

All possible articulations and variations have been meticulously recorded and programmed into the Professional Edition instruments. Keyswitches are used in the metallophones to provide the two articulations, free and damped attacks. The two kendang drums are mapped with various types of hits, separated into the left and right hands/drum heads, as well as strikes with the pangul, a wooden drumstick. The Kempli, Bebende and Kajar are recorded open and damped, each with a selection of different beaters. Each hit of every instrument has many alternative samples, to ensure that 'machine-gunning' never occurs - essential in an instrument that plays such dense percussive sequences.
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About Gamelan

A Gamelan is an ensemble of instruments originating from Indonesia. The majority of Gamelan instruments are percussive, and most of these are bronze. They include xylophone-like metallophones of different sizes and pitch, tuned gong chimes, very large pitched gongs, and an assortment of drums and percussion. There are many types of Gamelan ensembles, but the two dominant types are Javanese and Balinese. Balinese Gamelan has a characteristic 'shimmering' sound which is due to the detuning of paired instruments playing the same musical part.

Although Gamelan music has been around for centuries (there is evidence of instruments existing before 800 AD), it is very much a living music in Indonesia, and is growing in popularity in the west. Styles keep evolving and new Gamelan music is being written all the time. Balinese "Gong Kebyar", a particularly flamboyant style, has dominated much of the century and is probably Bali's most famous export.

Gamelan music is very much about the collective - it has been described as 'a negotiation between musicians'. Many of the musicians play interlocking parts, in which alternate notes are shared between two instruments. This technique enables the ensemble to play incredibly fast passages.