Gendhing Rebaban by Jeff Gburek (Javanese Rebab & Synthesizer)

There aren't many traditional compositions (if there any at all) that feature the rebab in Javanese gamelan history, so my title is primarily ironic.The rebab is a double-coursed, spike violin played- in Javanese style - with a slack-ish bow. I studied traditional music with Pak Suhardi in Yogyakarta over 20 years ago. There have been many detours since. On this album the rebab meets with synthesizer arpeggios, clicks, electronic noises in a free exchange where I explore extended techniques on the rebab that stem partly from Western strings, improv a la William Parker, and partly from the shamanic berimbau of Nana Vasconcelos. Since there is no rebab in traditional Western electronic music, I am at risk of heresy in the eyes of some and innovation in the ears of others. But I offer it all in the spirit of playful balance and improvisation.   In celebration of Winter Solstice, 2021. Photo by Jacek Zielinski

About Gendhing Rebaban, Laurent Fairon writes:
" US composer and guitarist Jeff Gburek, born 1963, studied Gamelan music in Indonesia and has since incorporated elements of Gamelan in his own experimental and electronic music. This solo album pairs synthesizer loops and sequences with the rebab, a bowed string instrument used in the Arabic music world and Indonesia. Gburek plays the long neck, Javanese variant of the rebab, here heard in solos or in duets with synthesizer. The limited, one-octave range of the rebab nicely complements the analog synth sounds in a kind of East meets West configuration, not unlike some famous West Coast composers from the past. The occasional use of reverb or delay extends the rebab's palette a little and brings it into weirder, more experimental territories. The atmosphere is mostly serene and mysterious throughout, yet not sacred nor veering to imaginary folklore. The synth sounds' vintage sheen also contributes to the timelessness of this music."

Guitarist, composer, sound designer, field recordist, shortwave radio poet, blending electro-acoustic, electronica, spectral comp., cracked circuits, sounding organic objects with an ear towards earth voices. Studied Javanese and Balinese gamelan and theories of Partch and Xenakis. Working with dance/theater/butoh co. Djalma Primordial Science. More than 400 concerts throughout Europe since 2005.

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