Fig. 1 illustrates a traditional way of looking at the instruments, both Western and gamelan percussion instruments, and the music traditions to which they belong.
Basically, through my challenge, I wanted to switch place on gamelan instruments and Western percussion which is illustrated in fig. 2.
When I was living in Bali in 2012, I participated as a spectator at several ceremonies. There are many types of ceremonies, but the ceremonies I attended were a mix of social meeting points and religious events constantly accompanied by gamelan music. Balinese gamelan has a strong focus on the tradition of interaction with innovation, and an example of this is a recording I did of what I assume was a prelude to the Barong (mythological dragon figure in Balinese Hinduism) dance that came later. Notice the widespread use of various time signatures and polymetric modulations, a clear feature imported from the music of other cultures—all the time with the clear use of kotekan.
Eventually, this notation was much more playable and gave me the musical effect I wanted. Part 1, version 2, is, in all its simplicity, built around this concept. Besides the inspiration from gamelan, it is important to mention the inspiration and reference to Anders Koppel´s "Toccata for Vibraphone & Marimba" (1995) and Rolf Wallin´s "Twine" (1995). These two pieces of music are, in the sense of great parts of these instruments, probably the most exciting music I have performed. This inspiration became clearer in the revised version and moved slightly away from clear kotekan principles.
Nonetheless, the piece is more of a fantasy of inspiration after listening to central Javanese gamelan music. Thus, it is like Debussy's approach to inspiration from the same source:
Score: Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba: Movement 2: Java/Imbal
Movement 3: Glitch Out
Glitch Out is a rhythmic fantasy inspired by the repeating, sometimes nonstop function of the kotekan. I wanted to investigate other approaches to using this, but without the interlocking system, with a focus on syncopation and the rhythmic flow characteristic of the kotekan.
I have used this syncopated rhythmic movement as a basic idea for further development. Although both parts are notes at the same time signature, this is more of a pragmatic reason. The motifs are in different time signatures, but since the parts have varied lengths of motifs, the notation becomes very complex. In practice, this music does not depend on the time signature. By that, I mean there is no specific weight on the first beat in the bar. Here, rhythmic gravity follows motifs. Accordingly, the composition is polymetric, that is, several time signatures simultaneously. This concept I process from the letters A to I, with different motifs of different lengths, where a densifying of the patterns is the principle.
Background
"Own compositions" aims to unite a soundscape often associated with classical contemporary music with sound and conceptualisms from gamelan music. Through this perspective, I will strive to develop new musical concepts and compositions. Through the project “The Bali Tapes,” I looked at myself as a jazz composer and musician, where the search was for new musical expression in the meeting between modal−jazz and gamelan music. In my second project, “Mantra,” the focus was me as a contemporary musician, and through working with a composer, Ellen Lindquist, I designed the gamelan framework for the composition.
A third direction I wanted to investigate was composing music with a more classical contemporary approach. “Classical contemporary” consists of a wide range of musical expressions. Nonetheless, as a musician working within this field, I would say it is characterized by a "detailed" score and musicians educated in the artistry of performing classical music. These detailed scores are hugely diverse, from some of John Cage’s compositions with handwritten instructions on a piece of paper, like “Branches" (1976), to Ligeti’s rich world of details, such as his “Piano Concerto" (1986). Even though musicians do not necessarily need to be classically trained to play some of John Cage’s works, there is a tradition for classical musicians to perform Cage´s music.
Composing music in the classical contemporary direction will combine my knowledge of this field, both as a musician in performance practice and in understanding the written score. I would put this knowledge into the context of inspiration from gamelan instruments, inspiration from other Western composers working with gamelan, and gamelan composers working with contemporary music. With these elements, I will try to create musical expression that is unique and reflects my background working within the contemporary music scene.
To extend my knowledge of composition, I participated in a compositional course, held by Ellen Lindqust, at the Department of Music, NTNU, 2018. This gave me more compositional strategies, such as form and structural development in composition. An important benefit related to notation and the use of software, as well as being careful about details in the score. This new knowledge I have taken further into my work with "own compositions".
From letter I, the composition changes to a calmer character, but the principle of polymeric figures is in focus. I think of the part from the letter K to T as a snowball that rolls down to get bigger and bigger, faster, and faster, where the energy leads toward the goal of ending up in the kotekan from letter T.
To emphasize this effect of uncontrolled rolling, I have introduced the use of polyrhythms to give it a more abstract flow. Here in letter J, there are triplets against eighth notes, where the triplets are grouped into eight.
This evolves into a more “phasing-like” effect (“Phasing” was used extensively by Steve Reich, especially in his compositions from the sixties to the seventies). My goal is not to reach a new coinciding pattern but rather to investigate the chaos in the phasing itself.
From the letter V, the music returns to a solid kotekan, which dissolves increasingly toward letter U. The parts end with an ostinato that is repeated until the end.
SCORE: Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba: Movement 3: Glitch Out
Part 3 is the expansion of a single cell into a full nonmetric motif. The big shape of the part is a long crescendo, followed by a long decrescendo.
Objectives of the Project: Own compositions
I had two musical directions I wanted to pursue:
- Compositional concepts from gamelan music as a foundation for compositions for Western (percussion) instruments. (Ref. 1.3 composers like Claude Debussy, Steve Reich, Colin McPhee, Benjamin Britten)
- Develop and compose solo pieces for solo gamelan in a tradition of experimental contemporary gamelan music. (ref. 1.3, composers like John Cage, Dewa Alit, Alvin Lucier).
To be able to have two clear methods of working with "Own compositions", it was conceptual importance to distinguish between these objectives. Through my investigation of the field of contemporary music (with gamelan inspiration) and gamelan music (with contemporary music inspiration), I saw it as a musical challenge trying to dig into these two directions. Though this challenge they became conceptual opposites.
To further examine the two objectives, I made this basic illustration which shows the connection between, on left side, gamelan instruments/gamelan concepts and, on right side, western percussion/contemporary music.
Even though the two sides in fig. 3. represent different concepts, it also shows a flow in inspiration. To construct rules and dogmas of separation between the two sides would for me not be a musical and artistic idea. Also, as a non-native working with gamelan instruments, especially in contemporary and experimental music, I need to be aware of possible challenges related to appropriating these instruments out of its context. Through my investigation of the field of contemporary gamelan music and learning gamelan instruments in Bali, I experience to have adopted a sense of what is respectful and what is not. (ref 1.3/3.2.)
In direction one, compositions where Western percussion instruments meet composition principles and ideas from gamelan. In particular, I wanted to focus on the rhythmic interaction derived from the kotekan system in the Balinese gamelan. Thus, my musical goal is not to create traditional gamelan music or music that is necessarily directly associated with gamelan. I have, therefore, deliberately avoided an obvious use of the gamelan scales pelog and slendro, but instead highlighted moods, rhythms, and other musical concepts from this music. For example, in the third movement of "Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba," I use the left arm of the marimba on black keys, against the left arm on white keys on the vibraphone, and the opposite on the right. The effect is not necessarily atonal, but somewhat undefined (multi-)pentatonic. This concept can be seen in the context of duality.
Composers have since the early 20th century used gamelan as inspiration but without directly using scales and other defined gamelan concepts. Here, I refer to how Debussy and Ligeti used gamelan as inspiration, as in Debussy’s “Pagodes” (1903) and Ligeti “Galamb Borong" (1988). If I put this into context with what I previously wrote about how gamelans have influenced Western composers (in part 1.3.), my goal is to pursue a similar approach. To repeat these strategies:
- Composers who have been inspired by moods but not necessarily transferred gamelan concepts, scales, and compositions. These composers are not using original instruments. Examples in this category are Debussy’s “Pagodes” (1903) and Ligeti’s “Galamb Borong" (1988–1994).
- Composers who transcribe or compose in gamelan style, either for original instruments and/or Western instruments. This music has prominent elements derived from gamelan music, where the particular use of scale and rhythmic concepts is the starting point for the compositions. Examples are Lou Harrison (“Concerto for Piano and Javanese Gamelan” 1987) and Benjamin Britten (“The Prince of the Pagodas,” 1957).
- Composers who experiment with gamelan instruments try to find new ways to use these instruments. Composers here are Alvin Lucier (“Music for Gamelan Instruments, Microphones, Amplifiers, and Loudspeakers” 1994) and John Cage with his “Haikai (for Gamelan)” (1986).
Primarily, I want to pursue strategies 1 and 3 above.
In direction two, developing and composing solo pieces for gamelan, I wanted to focus on the gamelan instruments and their sonic possibilities. The instruments in the gamelan are ensemble instruments and consequently, individual instruments are "hidden" in the ensemble sound. I wanted to take them out of the ensemble and examine the possibility of developing compositions for single instruments or a gamelan instrumentarium assembled as a solo setup.
Description of compositions, work methods, and concepts
With the objectives discussed above as a starting point, I created five compositions:
- three compositions for Vibraphone and Marimba, under the umbrella "Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba".
- two compositions for solo gamelan.
Compositions
1. Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba
· Part 1: Dualism/Kotekan
· Part 2: Java/Imbal
· Part 3: Glitch Out
2. Solo Pieces for Gamelan Instruments
· Circles - for Reyong and Gongs
· Waves - for Gangsa, Gong with Electronics
1. Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba
By composing for vibraphone and marimba, my goal was to see if I could bring together my interest in contemporary music with my new inspiration from gamelan music, in the framework of classical percussion. As a classical percussion player, I have performed several works for a melodic percussion duo, which is an exciting format. I have, among other pieces, performed works such as "Toccata" (1995) by Anders Koppel, "Twine" (1995) by Rolf Wallin, and "Piano Phrase" (1967) by Steve Reich, all considered standard repertoire for the classical percussionist. In my opinion, the first two works combine excellent pieces of music with technical challenges. Steve Reich’s "Piano Phases" is also a conceptual and groundbreaking work in the minimalist music style. Still, the challenge does not necessarily lie in the technical performance aspect but more in the interplay between musicians.
The instruments I have chosen for this composition were vibraphone and marimba, instruments I know and master. Therefore, writing playable parts for these instruments feels familar. Both instruments do, in some ways, remind me of gamelan, where the common element is a mallet hitting a tuned bar. By choosing the right mallets for these instruments, one can achieve a coherent and equal auditive experience.
The composition consists of three pieces, each of which refers to different gamelan concepts.
- Movement 1: Dualism/Kotekan
- Movement 2: Java/Imbal
- Movement 3: Glitch Out
My main musical intention with "Duo for Vibraphone and Marimba" was to highlight the precise musical rhythmic interplay to achieve a groove, flow, and swing. To be rhythmically precise does not necessarily mean hitting the bar at the exact same time; however, a common understanding of rhythmic flow is crucial. In Movement 1, syncopated rhythm is the fundamental musical element. The scored parts are written in a semi-improvisational manner, where the performer chooses his or her rhythm based on suggestions in the score. To achieve a rhythmic flow between performers, one must musically trust colleagues, particularly when the musical landscape constantly changes. This trust is also the case for Movement 3, in which the performers play in different key signatures simultaneously. For example, in the beginning, the vibraphone part is in 12/16 while the marimba is in 11/16. The next part is in a new signature, and so on. There is very little room for error, which could damage the first two minutes. If you are out, you are out. Musically, though, small tempo variations can accur. As a performer, one must always adjust to these slight variations to achieve a high-quality musical result. The only way to get this right is to practice a great deal together. This musical interplay or interaction I associate with playing kotekan patterns in Balinese gamelan. My gamelan teacher, Tjokorda Raka, talked about the rhythmic interplay in kotekan as musical intuition. To achieve a coherent rhythmic image, one and one’s musical partner intuitively must "lock" patterns.
Kotekan
Gamelan researcher and composer Wayne Vitale described the kotekan as follows:
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“One might imagine…. the text on this page is read by two narrators, one of whom pronounces the letters a through m, and the other n through z, yet fitting those sounds together so perfectly that we hear them as one speaker” (Vitale, 1990, p. 2). |
The essential musical element in movements 1 and 3 is the concept of kotekan. Rhythmic patterns and musical periods are vital elements in gamelan music. This music uses a range of patterns connected to entire musical periods. These musical periods can vary, depending on the composition. The most common periods are 4-, 8-, 16-, etc.-beat cycles. The rhythmic patterns in the Balinese gamelan are called kotekan. The concept of kotekan is an interlocking pattern that consists of two parts, where the names of the parts are sangsih (male part) and polos (female part). These two parts intertwine, which together form a distinctive rhythmic landscape. Kotekan is a highly unique musical element in the Balinese gamelan and is something that makes the Balinese gamelan sound different from the Javanese gamelan. The concept of a male and a female part also refers to duality, in which the two parts are inseparably connected.
Performing kotekan patterns was something I had learned to a great degree with my teacher Tjokorda Raka in Bali. Here is a video of Raka and me in 2012, when we practiced the gangsa (Balinese metallophone) parts of the piece "Sekar Jepun.” The Kotekan type is called Empat and consists of four tones, in which tone one and four always play together. The kotekan parts moved parallel up and down the instruments.
Henry Spiller illustrates the kotekan Empat principle as a 32 beat matrix (black = beat/white = break) in his book Gamelan Music of Indonesia (Spiller, 2004, p.100) as follows:
Below is an example of Baris dance, with underlying parts and use of the kotekan Empat. Notably, kotekan use can vary among ensembles due to ensemble skills, traditions, etc. The example is the basic form with one type of kotekan. The complete structure includes an introduction, contrasting parts in the middle, and an ending. This score’s transcription is based on actual work with gamelan musicians in Singaraja 2012.
Movement 1: Dualism/Kotekan
Movement 1: Dualism/Kotekan is based on kotekan, described above, and duality (described in 2.1.).
I revised Movement 1 after the piece was finished. There are two reasons for this adjustment: one pragmatic and one musical. The musical reason is that the entire piece felt too rigid, with too many musical sections. What I wanted to highlight was the ultra-tight interplay between the two musical parts; all the changes between different musical sections felt disturbing. The pragmatic reason is due to the amount of detailed scored music. All the information in the core made it extremely hard to bring the composition to a point where it was presentable within a reasonable rehearsal period.
I will continue the discussion in both version one and version two (the revised), since version two is based on version one.
Version 1 starts with this kotekan approach:
Ex. 2.3.15. (Gendhing bonangan Dhenggung Turulare pelog - Musicians of ISI Surakarta - Gamelan of Central Java, Yantra, 2021)
2. Solo Pieces for Gamelan
When I started my research project "Eastern Rebellion", my solo compositions for gamelan were the first artistic direction I began to investigate. During this time, I worked a great deal on finding ways to use gamelan instruments as solo instruments. This was a challenge, as the instrument is designed for single-part and ensemble playing, and opportunities for polyphony and even the addition of several instruments together simultaneously were problematic. Accordingly, I made two compositions.
Circles—for reyong and gongs.
Waves—for gangsa, gong, and electronics.
Reyong is a horizontal dome gong with a clear and defined pitch. Gangsa is a metallophone reminiscent of Orff metallophones in appearance.
My gongs are both Javanese and Balinese. They are basically the same but are called Gong Ageng in Java and Gong Wadon and Gong Lanang in Bali. These are large, tuned gongs. (Read more about gongs in part 2.1.)
Composition 1: Circles for Reyong and Gongs
The concept behind the composition itself is based on a minimalistic concept of motif development; the use of motifs is the whole foundation of gamelan music. The piece has three parts, each with different types of motifs.
Part 1. The motifs are based on the 16th-note structure and are linked to the Imbal concept (mentioned above) in Javanese gamelan music. I use two voices. One is played on the beat, with the right hand, and one is off-beat, with the left hand. I developed these motifs through expansion, adding more notes. Through this, my goal was to create an illusion of two voices with different sub-motifs in the right and left hands, despite a constant alternation of hands in a smooth 16th-note flow. I do this by, for example, having three groupings in the right hand and the left grouping in two. The section develops toward a climax where the gong enters and then gradually dissolves toward part 2.
Composition 2: Waves for Gangsa, Gong, and Electronics
Ombak is a term in the Balinese gamelan that can be translated to “waves.” These waves are musically reflected in the changing dynamics and tempo. However, the central element in Ombak is the tonal oscillation between two similar instruments that are slightly out of tune with each other. Most of the instruments in the Balinese gamelan consist of a set of two equal instruments, one male and one female. These are central elements of the Balinese gamelan, and the instrument tuning of these instrument sets is carefully designed to produce these oscillations.
Michael Tenzer describes ombak through three point in his book Gong Kebyar (Tenzer, 2000, p. 453).
“Ombak” (“Waves”)
1.Acoustic oscillations achieved through small tuning differences in instrument pairs.
2.Fluctuations in tempo
3.Fluctuations in dynamics
My piece, “Waves,” is quite an abstract auditive composition and is colored by using electronics, without largely modifying the sound of the gamelan instruments. The most important electronic element in the composition is looping to create multiple layers of sound textures. The goal was, through these multiple layers, to create sonic waves, as in “Ombak.”
The large-tuned gongs have this “wave” inside one instrument. David W. Krueger and Kent L. Gee elaborated on this in the article “Acoustical and Vibrometry Analysis of a Large Balinese Gamelan Gong” (Krueger & Gee, 2010, p. 2), where they point at the ombak producing a shimmering quality to the music that is unique to Bali.
The Use of Electronics
To develop the composition, I used the program "Ableton Live.” I have made a setup in which I, through different midi functions, can start and stop the loop recording through the built-in "Looper" plugin. I also used the delay and reverb plugin, modifying the pitch somewhat to corroborate the oscillations. I created a set of five loop channels linked to the midi fader so I could fade the volume in and out.
To make a score out of this, I have used an “open Score” system. The notation is graphical and gives the musician open possibilities for performance options and musical choices.
The composition is mainly structured improvisation. I created a score based on a shape structure and the desired length. The notation then acts as a guideline for the performer.
This example shows a close interaction in which all 16th notes are interwoven in the most rhythmically equal way, where the aim is for the instruments to unite.
The basis of the rhythmic structure is the syncopated three grouping of 16th notes, which is in line with the kotekan principle. In Balinese gamelan, rhythmic groupings follow the bar; that is, a new pattern starts on each bar. However, it is common for the second bar to turn the figure (see the Spiller example above), and then the coinciding rhythmic/melodic movement turns. To prevent it from becoming too static, I have chosen to break this up into time signatures, hence obtaining a longer stretch in rhythmic figures. The melodic structure circles the tone C. I try to expand this in half-steps up and down, adding increased tones to a more clustered chord.
After reworking piece one, my notation took another form. Part 1, Version 2, starts:
Large javanese gamelan ensembles have historically performed the court music. American ethnomusicologist Henry Spiller writes in his book Gamelan Music of Indonesia (2004, p. 70) about how gamelan music is used as a tool by those of the higher class to show power and status. To have the opportunity to pay a large ensemble that performs beautiful music builds up the class hierarchy. This slow pace and large structures form the frame for Movement 2.
I use two elements that refer to gamelan.
Element 1: From letter G in the treble voice of the marimba, I use the Pelog scale (Explained in 2.2. - Gamelan tuning and scales).
These polyrhythms develop through various motifs, types of polyrhythms, and polymeters to illustrate a gradual increase in speed. Here, there are eighth notes: five tuplets against 16th notes, seven tuplets against 16 parts, and triplets against seven tuplets, all with different subdivisions and polymetric shapes. I have chosen to use this specific notation, as I desire a more rigid flow, unlike a more ordinary accelerando. See the score below (letters N and P).
Part 2. This section is quieter in nature, with three motifs that occur simultaneously. Motif 1 is in a high register on reyong. The motif is loosely based on the original playing style of the Balinese gamelan used on this instrument. Motif 2 features the bow on the reyong dome, while motif 3 is a longer motif on deep gongs.
Motifs 2 and 3 accompany motif 1, the main motif and melody. Throughout the section, motif 1 decreases for a concluding melody in the deep gongs.
Another example of using the Kotekan empat with Rai Alit. Ray is a Balinese composer and ensemble leader.
Figure a. Sangsih part (1)
Figure b. Polos part (2)
Figure c. The sangsih and polos are joined.
This matrix is based on a 32-beat kotekan pattern. The easiest way to look at this is to see it as two 4/4 bars, with a 16-note subdivision totaling 32, 16th notes. This way, one can see the syncopation and joint interlocking of parts of the kotekan. The different black dots represent horizontally variant tones in gamelan scales. This is how the illustration above is written in Western notation:
Movement 2: Java/Imbal
As the title indicate, the inspiration for Movement 2 is taken from Javanese gamelan. Like Balinese gamelan, Javanese gamelan, also holds several directions. As an inspiration for this movement, I used central Javanese gamelan music.
Example of Centra Javanese Gamelan
Fig. 2. is the principle. In practice, it is more fluid and not so static. In the end it looks more like this:
Element 2: On the vibraphone from letter F, my idea is to illustrate the Imbal concept in Javanese gamelan, in my composition performed by one musician. This technique is comparable to the Njog Cak kotekan technique from Bali (discussed earlier in this chapter), with alternation between the two parts. The Imbal kotekan technique is mostly performed on the bonang instrument, which is equivalent to the Balinese reyong.
Below is a notation of the Imbal concept as it appears in Benjamin Brinner’s book Knowing Music, Making Music (1995, p. 224).
Conclusion
Through the process of creating these compositions, I have intended to shed some light on various aspects of how I have been inspired by working with gamelan instruments and concepts. Trying to find something unique in this meeting based on my knowledge of gamelan has been exciting and demanding, not least because of my "dogmas" of not making music that is directly reminiscent of gamelan music. My work with this, and the collaboration with Ellen Lindquist through the preparation of performing her composition "Mantra", has in many ways crossed into each other, especially concerning instrumental sound and tuning. The work on these compositions has influenced how I worked with the improvisation approach together with Ellen, and Ellen’s processing of my improvisation material has influenced my further work on these compositions.
