A Pathet1 of Peace
mesmerizing repetition
1 - Pathet is an organizing concept in central Javanese gamelan music in Indonesia. It is a system of tonal hierarchies in which some notes are emphasized more than others. The word means '"to dampen or to restrain" in Javanese.
All the above photos are of Bali, the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. The province is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s. Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music.
Gamelan Music
Native to Indonesia, the Gamelan traditional ensemble has roots in pre-Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim-influenced mythology that goes back approximately 2,000 years. A Gamelan ensemble consists of percussion instruments predominantly made out of metal and tuned to specific scales, most often five- or seven-note ones.
About the Music
This tune is very loosely based on Indonesian Gamelan music. It features the lovely sound of the Indonesian Gendèr and the Tabla (from India). As the title suggests, it is meant to evoke a feeling of peacefulness and contentment.
Although in 3/4, the Vamp/Fade has overlapping parts in 4/4 as well. All instruments are from the Casio PX-S3000.
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