Minuit To Play With Balinese Gamelan At Homegrown
Not only does Bali have kickass surf, it's also home to some seriously heavy metal - like, in the literal sense.
Balinese gamelans are an arsenal of heavy bronze percussion instruments; exotic, frenetic and furious, and Wellington-based group Gamelan Taniwha Jaya has reinvented the live songs of Minuit which they'll be blasting out together on stage for the first time at Homegrown this weekend.
Already well known for their energetic live shows, Minuit say "it's definitely been a challenge adding twelve more players to the band, but its completely kickass! Why didnt we do it before? Oh that's right, we need a small truck to move everyone".
Onstage, up to twelve players - plus the Minuit trio - arrange themselves amongst these intricately crafted instruments, where one moment the music is beautifully delicate and shimmering; the next, rhythmic and mesmerising - some parts so rapid that two players are needed to play overlapping parts. And of course there's the big gongs. It's a curious showcase. And it's LOUD!
Homegrown is sold out, so if you have a ticket make sure you get along to the Red Bull Lab Stage between 8-9pm. Or check them out at WOMAD, Taranaki on Sunday 18 March.
You can also hear excerpts from rehearsals and a chat with the band on Music 101, Saturday 18 February on Radio New Zealand National.
