I have been in Indonesia since September 15th, going between Yogyakarta, Lombok Island, Bali, and Bandung performing a number of concerts at World Music festivals, some clubs, and also a very inspiring voice workshop for teenagers on Lombok.
I haven’t really had a ton of internet time, but I have been documenting my adventures as best I can. The only problem is getting to places with enough internet juice to upload all of these clips! This clip had me waiting at a cafe for almost four hours today! So I probably won’t be uploading very much until I get back home.
This is a recording session with a traditional Sasak musician named Gomblo, who plays the pereret, similar somewhat to a shenai or tarompet. He performed his solo repretoire of the cycle of classical Hindu ceremonial pieces for our recording session. After this, we recorded five or six short improvisations together. In these improvisations, he didn’t deviate too much from the pieces he had just recorded, so I tried to find a way to play within his pitch vocabulary while still actually PLAYING my own instrument, i.e. trying not to be too shy or “precious” with the opportunity we had before us.
We both laughed a lot while listening to the results, it was a very enjoyable afternoon. We did some other pieces with a kendang drummer, but those didn’t really turn out as well because of microphone problems.
That same weekend, I was able to perform with a Sasak village Gamelan group, which was very exciting and also quite a challenge because we weren’t really allowed any time at all for rehearsal, so I was pretty much forced to jump right in and make it work somehow. The recording for that turned out fairly well, so- again, I’ll be posting everything as soon as I am able!
I’m also doing a number of concerts with the amazing WUKIR, who has invented his own instrument. Wukir is also a member of the Indonesian version of Malaikat dan Singa, so in the coming weeks you will hearing a lot about him and his music as well.
Thank you so much to everyone for all of your support and encouragement, of course, I am having the time of my life, listening and learning a lot but also finding a very receptive audience for my music and art as well!
The Olympia house that Ben Kapp lived in went up in flames early this past Monday morning. Ben and his housemates (Kevin, Jonah, Justin, and Richie) escaped without harm, but the house and everything in it was totally destroyed. These guys are now houseless with the clothes on their backs and nothing else (and they’d be even further up shit creek if not for the American Red Cross). But they lost EVERYTHING - and could use as much help as possible to get their lives back to normal.
If you’d like to donate clothing for adult males, household items, mixtapes, keepsakes, or anything else, they can be dropped off at 802 Jefferson St. SE between 11am-5pm M-Th. All donations will be passed along to Ben ASAP. Further questions can be directed to the K Mail Order Dept. Special thank you to Angelo Spencer for this idea.
Arrington de Dionyso is off to Indonesia today! Grand and mysterious new adventures await this man, and boy are we excited to see what awesomeness he gets into over the next few weeks.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen!!!
more from the enourmous video vault of Grant Goza:
Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa “Cahaya Bahaya” 1-15-11 Glass House Olympia, WA
Arrington de Dionyso vocals/guitar Angelo Spencer guitar Gordon Baker bass Ben Kapp drums
Arrington put this show together to pay tribute to and celebrate the birthday of Captain Beefheart, who passed away a month prior.
“Cahaya Bahaya” means “dangerous light” in Indonesian.
Arrington De Dionyso’s Malaikat Dan Singa performing @ Arbor Vitae, Ann Arbor
Helsing Junction Sleepover 2011!
Helsing Junction Sleepover Lineup Announced!
Get your tents ready! The Helsing Junction Sleepover is going down on August 19th-21st! Sleep out under the stars and kittens while watching the following amazing bands perform just for YOU!
Malaikat dan Singa live at Södra Teatern 2011-03-30
A LOT of exciting things are happening today. First I found this picture on the Internet of Arrington De Dionyso taking a nap, and THEN I was informed that his new album, Suara Naga (which comes out today btw) is featured as one of Alarm’s best albums of the week! Check out the list HERE.
Treat yourself to some awesome new music and pick up Arrington De Dionyso’s Malaikat Dan Singa’s Suara Naga HERE.
Reviler reviewed Arrington De Dionyso’s Malaikat Dan Singa’s Suara Naga. Check it out HERE!
Arrington de Dionyso’s Malaikat dan Singa are practicing downstairs in Dub Narcotic Studio, and the entire K office is shuddering and shaking.
It’s awesome.
Also, the release date for Suara Naga is rapidly approaching! March 29th, folks… get ready to trance rock out like never before.
220 plays
Can’t get enough of yesterday’s alternate universe smash hit? Well, if heartbreak is your problem, then we have the solution!
And it involves melodica.
Here’s more… more Johnson, more Dub Nar, more… Birdman! Yes, it’s time for saunter onto some remix Astroturf. This “Dub Walk,” if you will, is the B side of Bobby Birdman’s upcoming Dub Narcotic Disco Plate entitled “Don’t Walk Away” (DBN124, dropping on 6/21/2011). “Dub Walk” features none other than Selector Dub Narcotic, the nom de plume of Calvin Johnson, remix superstar.
Oh, and “Dub Walk” is available in today’s transmission of theK Singles Zip-Pak, along with the A side, “Don’t Walk Away,” and a multitude of extras.
Saucy beats and tappin’ feet, it’s Selector Dub Narcotic time!
Arrington and crew (professional shredder-in-charge Angelo Spencer, and former Desolation Wilderness members Gordon Baker and Ben Kapp) are currently downstairs recording a new Dub Narcotic Disco Plate with the Calvinator, as well as a track for a Captain Beefheart tribute.
…the low howl of bass clarinet spills out from the studio and into the office. Who knows what lurks in the Dub Narcotic studio, what musty beast of a mix will spill out into unsuspecting ears?
