Longtime fans of David Parsons' sampling and synthesizer originals of the 1980s will be pleased with the musician's return to the studio. After a long hiatus as a composer/performer, Parsons' Ngaio Gamelan is unmistakab... more »ly his magnum opus. To date that is, we are optimistic Parsons has more to come.From 1992 until 1997, David Parsons traveled the world as a producer for Celestial Harmonies. After The Music of Cambodia (19902-2), The Music of Vietnam (19903-2), The Music of Armenia (19909-2), The Music of Bali (19905-2), and the award-winning The Music of Islam (19907-2) in addition to several recordings from India and Indonesia, this is the transfigured music of a reborn composer/performer - the result of an exemplary multi-cultural existence on four continents drawing from the inspiration of hundreds of fellow musicians and music traditions from around the globe, recorded in Wellington, New Zealand.Tracks one, two and four use sampled phrases from the Armenia project. Track six uses sampled sarangi phrases from a recording made in Pakistan. Tracks three and five are new compositions by Parsons, without any sampling. Most tracks use Indian percussion instruments played by Parsons. The phrase samples have dictated musical scales resulting in the gamelan accompaniment being based on scales otherwise unheard of in Indonesian music. Although Parsons did not strictly follow any musical traditions, as that was not his intention, this is rather an experiment attempting to produce a hybrid - a kind of east-west fusion.« less
Longtime fans of David Parsons' sampling and synthesizer originals of the 1980s will be pleased with the musician's return to the studio. After a long hiatus as a composer/performer, Parsons' Ngaio Gamelan is unmistakably his magnum opus. To date that is, we are optimistic Parsons has more to come.From 1992 until 1997, David Parsons traveled the world as a producer for Celestial Harmonies. After The Music of Cambodia (19902-2), The Music of Vietnam (19903-2), The Music of Armenia (19909-2), The Music of Bali (19905-2), and the award-winning The Music of Islam (19907-2) in addition to several recordings from India and Indonesia, this is the transfigured music of a reborn composer/performer - the result of an exemplary multi-cultural existence on four continents drawing from the inspiration of hundreds of fellow musicians and music traditions from around the globe, recorded in Wellington, New Zealand.Tracks one, two and four use sampled phrases from the Armenia project. Track six uses sampled sarangi phrases from a recording made in Pakistan. Tracks three and five are new compositions by Parsons, without any sampling. Most tracks use Indian percussion instruments played by Parsons. The phrase samples have dictated musical scales resulting in the gamelan accompaniment being based on scales otherwise unheard of in Indonesian music. Although Parsons did not strictly follow any musical traditions, as that was not his intention, this is rather an experiment attempting to produce a hybrid - a kind of east-west fusion.
CD Reviews
Parsons back in fine form
11/07/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
" David Parsons- Ngaio Gamelan Celestial Harmonies 13172-2 What ever happened to David Parsons, the man who brought us such memorable recordings like Sounds Of The Mothership, Tibetan Plateau,Yatra, Himalaya and more. Well if you have been following his career you would know that Parsons has been traveling the world for Eckart Rahn of Celestial Harmonies, and documenting the sonic histories of Vietnam, Armenia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and more. How can I get a job like that I hear myself say? I had heard whispers that 'something' was in the pipeline, and was pleasantly surprised to find this at my doorstep a few weeks back. Ngaio Gamelan sees DP exploring a sophisticated blend of east west fusion sound, incorporating samples of various recordings he has done for Celestial Harmonies on those boxed sets, and weaving his own electronically based eastern music around these samples. Having just immersed himself in such rich and diverse musical cultures it is only logical that his own sounds and tastes have been colored by what he has heard in the last few years. DP plays gamelan, Indian percussion and woodwinds and of course keyboards. Sampled instruments include the duduk, sarangi, voice and kamancha. Overall if you are familiar with the DP sound, you'll know what's in store. The ever present 'Indian' experience comes out on this recording like all of his recordings; drones,sarangis, gentle rhythms based on multi ethnic influences. When you hear this release, you'll want to get on a plane and go somewhere. This is of course the magic within music, that ability to make the mind wander. Nothing really new jumps out at you, but it's great to hear him compose again. Like Steve Roach or Brian Eno, David Parsons has his own signature sound, which admittedly some people say has dated, but for this listener always an enjoyable experience. "
A Truly Celestial Music
VIJAY N CHAK | iselin, nj United States | 03/07/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"David Parsons lives upto his expecations. He joins the ranks of othe New Age Wizards like Anugama, Dueter and others. We have to commend him for his skilful handling of the east-east fusion. The perfect use of native instruments has enhanced its ambience and brings out the natural beauty associated with the sounds unique to those instruments e.g the "Sarangi". In "Tjampuhan", every note falls rightly into a another note forming a spiraling continuum. I really got addicted to this particular piece and listen to it every morning. A refreshing music for relaxation especially in the mornings. Though I will exploring some of his other works, I strongly recommend this CD to anyone interested in ambient music."
Another David Parsons Aural Masterpiece!
Max Johnson | Claremont, CA | 10/18/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is a fine addition to Parsons' earlier, more atmospheric works. Here he takes classic scales, rhythms and motifs from Indonesian Gamelan-style music and improvises on them using both traditional Indonesian and state of the art electronic instruments. As usual, his sensibilitys to non-western music are dead-on. He manages to capture the essence and spirit of Gamelan in a way few Western "New Age" composers could touch. The result is mystical, ancient, and modern all at once. Transcendent."
This CD is different, but unique
Max Johnson | 08/17/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD has departed from the Tibetian Mode and has given us another taste of a different Eastern cultural music. I found this CD on "Par" with all of the rest of Parsons work. This CD is excellent for going into a more energinzing type of trance as opposed to the more relaxing trances created by David's previous CD. This in sum, is the difference."
Brilliant ,evocative,ethnoambience at it's best
Max Johnson | 10/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is one of my favourites.Playing it is like a meditation session for your soul.I can't say much more it is utterly memorable..who the hell is this guy??"
Track Listings (6) - Disc #1