Indonesian Guitars

I'm sure a lot of you reading this posting have heard the
"Indonesian Guitars" compilation on Smithsonian Folkways. For those of you that have not heard it, it's an excellent document of the multifaceted relationship that various Indonesian traditional and popular musics have with the guitar, and other similar instruments. Some of the music is contained on that album is absolutely stunning, for me.

I recently unearthed some more stuff like in that vein on (guess where... that's right!) Multiply. The crucial difference is the weird lo-fi psychedelic overtones. Gone is the pristine-yet-verité field recording aesthetic of the Folkways recordings, and instead of insects chirping in the background you get tape hiss, dubby echoes, and some of the most idiosyncratic guitar tones I've heard.

If this was obscure English or German music, you surely would have seen a deluxe reissue by now with reviewers and hipsters slathering it in lost-gem-of-outsider-folk praise. Actually though despite the aformentioned production values, it's mostly just an amalgam of Indonesian styles-bits of kerocong, tembang sunda, and Islamic elements floating amongst various other disparate elements.

Regretfully, as per usual, I have very little info on the artists or tracks.

Here's the music:

Bimbo Iin - Pelet Kabayan
I love the fuzztone guitar that creeps up in the background near the end of this track. Apologies for the glitch at the beginning of the track! Bimbo-Iin was, from what I can gather from the Indonesian Wikipedia page, an Indonesian group that started in 1967, consisting of Sam Bimbo, Acil Bimbo, Jaka Bimbo, and Iin Parlina. The members seem to still be quite active. I am told that on this song, and on "Lalaki" they're singing in the Bahasa Sunda language.

Bimbo Iin - Lalaki
The tuning and use of wah on the guitars really aligns it with German psych group Amon Düül's "Paradieswart Düül" in my mind. The echoey vocals too give this a distinct flavour redolent of 1970's hippiedom, despite the fact that this affiliation is more than likely unintentional. Additionally doesn't that instrument at the beginning sound strangely reminiscent of the krar? I love that bit of overlap, seeing as I have such a fondness personally for both Indonesian and Ethiopian/ Eritrean music.

Bimbo Iin - Saputangan
Funny how this very obviously keroncong-derived track (not sure of the origin of the song, whether it is a Keroncong officially or not), sound strangely like other Portuguese-colonized music... Brazillian music. I can't help but think of Gal Costa or other 1970's post-Bossa Nova/tropicalia MPB stuff when I listen to this track. This is obviously a far cry from the music on original Indonesian Guitars comp, but I really enjoy this track.

Bimbo Iin - Keroncong Telomoyo
This is obviously (see the title?) a true blue keroncong song. I love the addition of the slow wobble of the 1970's synth strings. Not unlike Perrey-Kingsley's gorgeously icey arrangement of "Moon River", the ersatz strings in the background offers a touch of alienated yet earnest nostalgia which skews this in surreal direction, away from trad keroncong (which, by the way is also very nice!)

Mat Yamin - Has Dek Kan Ngringkannye
This is a longer, more repetitive track with some lovely very metallic sounding fingerpicking. This will be much more familiar territory to those that have heard the Smithsonian Compilation. Minus, of course, how the voice is coated in a strange electric haze (hiss + fake reverb).

Yuliani & Amin - Merapi
Another beautiful longer track with beautiful female vocals. For some reason I think of Numero Group's "Ladies of The Canyon" compilation when I hear this, which chronicles a variety of 1960's/70's female singer-songwriters who delved into various dreamy territories off the path paved by the likes of Joni Mitchell. The spare guitar, and evocative vocals make this song a real standout.