From Issue 1
Versatility as Innovation: Getting to Know Gamelan Pesel
Zachary Hejny
The current musical landscape on Bali is rich in new compositional idioms and ensemble templates. As intercultural flood gates continue to open, composers strive to develop methods of reconciling fresh interests and influences within Bali’s more conventional artistic logics. I Wayan Arik Wirawan (Arik) is one such musician who has succeeded in this regard. In 2012 Arik began developing Gamelan Pesel, an innovative hybrid ensemble consisting of several instruments he designed himself. This versatile ensemble enables him to explore new creative possibilities and perform in a variety of settings.
Because of its thoughtful design, Gamelan Pesel has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Curious about the instruments and group’s recent success, I visited their rehearsal space in Banjar Kepisah Sumerta, Denpasar to speak with Arik. We sat on stone tables in the shade, sipping coffee and catching up. It was a sunny August afternoon and the Pesel instruments were tucked neatly into a corner beside us, the muscular frog-head carvings of the reong poking out from underneath their protective covers. Members of the group trickled in to join us, adding spurts of comic relief as Arik began to explain the concepts behind his ensemble and the unique design of its instruments.
Pesel refers to the roots of the ensemble’s hybrid instrumentation by combining the names of the two ensembles that most influenced its final configuration: Semar PEgulingan and SELonding. The collection of instruments consists of a pair of jublag and a pair each of iron-keyed gangsa and kantilan that span over two octaves. The latter are mounted at a height that allows players to use two-handed techniques from selonding and gender wayang as well as single-handed techniques typical of gong keyar and semar pegulingan. The ensemble also includes a set of bass instruments (jegogan) modeled after those found in selonding ensembles, eight pairs of large iron slabs arranged horizontally and low to the ground, as well as a bronze reong instrument, 14 small bossed gongs played upright on a wooden rack. The reong is unique in that Arik asked the metalsmith to reduce the bright timbre associated with reong so that his could double as a terompong. This modification allows him the freedom to orchestrate the instrument for a four-person elaborative role or as a solo melodic lead, the latter being a convention in much of the semar pegulingan repertoire. Depending on the performance style, Arik also often augments his compositions with large gongs, kendang, kecek, and other percussion instruments.
Another peculiar feature of the ensemble is its seven-tone scale, which is tuned to an approximate equal temperament. Following an early interest in combining gamelan with rock instruments and composing with software sequencers, Arik designed the first Pesel keys to fit the Western major scale. Arik admits that since all his newer instruments are tuned by ear, in relation to the first ones, the intervals have fluctuated considerably from their original tuning. His instruments also feature the paired tunings found in most Balinese gamelan ensembles, which further distorts the impression of equal temperament since each note is represented by a pair of keys tuned slightly apart from one another. I often hear Balinese observers remark about the uniqueness of the ensemble’s tuning, especially when performing idioms from classic gamelan styles.
In Balinese language, pesel means ‘to make one’ by combining several different elements together. As Arik described the concept during our conversation, he made a kneading motion with one hand that resembled the preparation of lawar, an iconic and versatile Balinese dish that can be made by combining minced pork or chicken, shredded coconut, chilis and other spices into a clumpy texture. This imagery alludes to Arik’s stylistic concatenations as well as the fact that numerous instrument builders were involved in the construction of Gamelan Pesel. Arik commissioned instruments from gong smiths and wood carvers across Bali and ordered his set of large gongs from a smith in Surakarta, Java.
As the sun beat down on us, Arik continued to chronicle the years it took to develop his gamelan and described the process as one of “searching for the ensemble’s character.” Instead of beginning with a concrete idea, he pieced together the orchestra gradually, adding instruments as needed for specific performance situations. Allowing creative processes to be dictated by needs and opportunities as they arise is not uncommon for artists in Bali.
Noticing that his players had grown restless listening to our technical discussion of the instruments, Arik began playing recordings of selections from his composition portfolio. Using Gamelan Pesel, Arik has composed music suitable for a variety of performance situations: from wedding receptions and temple ceremonies to accompaniment for comedic theater and new legong choreographies. He has also composed pop collaborations with rock musicians and headlined kreasi events at the Bali Arts Festival. One highlight of the session was hearing selections from a set of five or so original selonding compositions written in the Tenganan style. He has an interest in experimentation too, which can be seen in his contributions to the Insitu Sessions compilations. His pieces Manggurin (Insitu Sessions Volume 1) and Maju Mundur (Volume 3) are controlled explorations of Gamelan Pesel’s potential; the former written solely for the ensemble’s iron-keyed instruments and the latter for bossed gongs, both large and small.
Five years after Arik’s journey with Gamelan Pesel began, the ensemble appears to have carved out its own place in south Bali’s vibrant gamelan community. The group continues to gain notoriety as a performing ensemble at religious ceremonies, and recently even performed a solo showcase on the Ksirarnawa Stage at the Art Center in Denpasar. The newly released album Nada Hidup (Insitu Recordings imprint) demonstrates Arik’s mastery of composing in a semar pegulingan idiom, while his ongoing explorations and collaborations reveal an interest in testing the limits of his ensemble’s versatility. At this point, the ensemble has begun to reveal a unique character, and it’s one that reflects that of its leader. Both Gamelan Pesel and Arik’s compositions embody his openness, humility, and charismatic mirth. He and his musicians work hard but don’t complicate their music with lofty philosophies or aesthetic missions. As I prepared to leave the rehearsal space, I remarked about the choice to carve large frog heads into the reong and kecek mounts. Arik smiled then replied simply, “even though they are small animals, they make such beautiful sounds.”
Zachary Hejny
Check out Nada Hidup on YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud:
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Zachary Hejny
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Gamelan Pesel
