Gongs, xylophones, bells, cymbals, drums, metallophones, sometimes also woodwinds or strings, linked together in an orchestra of a single musical device: the gamelan.
But the Ensemble Nist-Nah’s gamelan is not, nor does it want to be, a traditional gamelan. This hybrid percussion group, made up of eight musicians, was born in 2019 by Australian Will Guthrie, a great admirer of music made with this instrument. Informed by trips to Indonesia, where the gamelan originated, the ensemble presents pieces influenced by various traditional music from Southeast Asia. However, what the group creates is anything but traditional music, as evidenced by their debut album, ELDERS (2022), released by Black Truflle Records.