Bagus Shidqi – Njondhil Njondhal, Digital indigenous 6 (1000Herz Records, 2024)
Highly talented young Indonesian musician Bagus Shidqi has released a truly fascinating album titled Njondhil Njondhal. This album marks a significant milestone as an innovative set of electronic music rooted in Indonesian culture. However, if you are thinking electronic dance music, this is not what the album is about. Instead, Bagus Shidqi, known for his expertise in Indonesian gamelan music, explores the realm of virtual instruments in this collection. The outcome is profoundly mesmerizing music that grabs your attention from the very first second, generated electronically, that sounds organic and deeply satisfying.
Njondhil Njondhal revisits the traditional “jathilan” ritual through digitally rendered compositions. In this ritual, dancers symbolizing horses serve as conduits for spiritual experiences.
The album’s title, Njondhil Njondhal, carries rich symbolism: “njondhil” denotes the awe inspired by such performances, while “njondhal” suggests cyclical patterns. Together, they capture the essence of a horse’s rhythmic movements in dance or the recurring beauty of artistic expression.
Bagus Shidqi, a composer in his twenties hailing from Java, Indonesia, draws inspiration from the traditional arts of his region. He established a home recording studio with the aim of transposing the gamelan sound of Javanese music into digital arrangements. In 2019, he launched the YouTube channel “Kamar Studios,” dedicated to showcasing digitally created folk music arrangements, particularly focusing on Jathilan, through the utilization of Virtual Instrument/MIDI technology. Alongside presenting traditional music, he ingeniously adapts popular music into traditional arrangements using digital means, inadvertently contributing to the broader recognition of traditional folk arts on national and international platforms.
Bagus reinterprets traditional folk music, incorporating various gamelan and modern instruments such as bendhe (kettle gong), gong, kendang, saron, angklung, and drum. Typically accompanying the traditional horse dance known as “Jathilan,” this music employs scales like pelog and slendro, occasionally integrating diatonic elements in select compositions. Digitally arranged using Virtual Instrument (VSTi), these compositions seamlessly combine gamelan sounds with contemporary percussive elements.
Song Descriptions:
- Pambuko (Opening): This piece serves as Bagus’s introduction, a customary feature in Javanese folk art performances where performers introduce themselves through a comprehensive musical presentation. Functioning as an invitation, this opening song beckons audiences to gather as the performance commences.
- Budhalan Njondhil (Leaving while startled): Symbolizing the essence of being startled, this composition mirrors a troupe of horses poised to entertain. It encapsulates vital elements of the Jathilan performance, encompassing musicians, dancers, offerings, and magic charmers, while emphasizing the importance of preserving Javanese folk art.
- Laku Urip (Live a life): Emphasizing communal harmony, this song imparts the wisdom of living in unity, working together, and expressing gratitude for life’s blessings on this wondrous planet.
- Mampir Ngombe (Stop by for a drink): Through poetic lyrics likening life to a bitter cup of coffee, this composition underscores the ephemeral nature of existence and the promise of an afterlife. It encourages embracing life’s transient pleasures while acknowledging its impermanence.
- Ora Obah Ora Mamah (Not moving, not eating): Encouraging perseverance over complacency, this song admonishes against blaming external circumstances and advocates for resilience as the pathway to success.
- Mblenjani Janji (Broken promise): Addressing themes of betrayal and disappointment, this song advocates for sincerity in forgiveness and the wisdom to move forward from unfulfilled promises. It imparts the value of genuine connections and discernment in relationships, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness and letting go in the pursuit of a fulfilling life.
Buy Njondhil Njondhal.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.