Krakatau (band)
Encyclopedia
Krakatau is a gamelan
-influenced jazz
band from Bandung
, West Java
, Indonesia
. The group was formed in 1985 and is unique in that their instruments are all specially tuned
to slendro
, a pentatonic scale used in Indonesian traditional music. They combine Western and Indonesian instruments, and even integrate rap
into their music.
"Despite the distinctive frequency of particular tone [tuning] that could sound peculiar to Western ears, the treasure of rhythmic expression is valuable language to communicate to global audiences. Further more, Krakatau is continuously adapting Western diatonic elements [melodies] into its basic S’lendro tonal system."
They have performed in Indonesia, Japan
, China
, and Malaysia, and released eight commercial recordings.
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
-influenced jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band from Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The group was formed in 1985 and is unique in that their instruments are all specially tuned
Musical tuning
In music, there are two common meanings for tuning:* Tuning practice, the act of tuning an instrument or voice.* Tuning systems, the various systems of pitches used to tune an instrument, and their theoretical bases.-Tuning practice:...
to slendro
Slendro
Slendro is a pentatonic scale, one of the two most common scales used in Indonesian gamelan music, the other being pélog.-Tuning:...
, a pentatonic scale used in Indonesian traditional music. They combine Western and Indonesian instruments, and even integrate rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
into their music.
"Despite the distinctive frequency of particular tone [tuning] that could sound peculiar to Western ears, the treasure of rhythmic expression is valuable language to communicate to global audiences. Further more, Krakatau is continuously adapting Western diatonic elements [melodies] into its basic S’lendro tonal system."
They have performed in Indonesia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and Malaysia, and released eight commercial recordings.