*2026 repress**
30 yrs (!) since it's initial release in '97... absolutely loaded EP of dancefloor heat from a true Disco romantic, Daniel Wang. Certified treasure from past, and one that won't leave the record bag.
Remastered with love and respect of the originals, and the originators.
HUGE TIP!
Search:bali
- A1: Dance Of The Pharaohs
- A2: Hot Lunch
- A3: Jungle Strut
- A4: Just Voodoo It
- A5: Wolfbag
- A6: Duff Love
- A7: The Jewel Thief
- A8: Rainforest Hum
- A9: Hot Carl
- B1: Snake Hips
- B2: Tropical B Boy
- B3: Clap My Bitch Up
- B4: Samba Funkin
- B5: Bali High Af
- B6: Mission Implausible
- B7: Congo Shuffle
- B8: Amazon Primal
- B9: Son Of Hot Carl
- A1: Bienvenue Au Speakeasy
- A2: Draskapha
- A3: Mellow Mood
- B1: Minute Papillon
- B2: Quadro
- B3: Sans Faire
Already fifteen years that Cléa Vincent has been stepping on stage with that childlike fervor, that passion for pop and its elasticity, from her early days in Parisian bars to last year’s show at the Bataclan for the release of her third album Advitam Æternamour. You could say she needs no introduction, her name being inseparable from some of the most exciting work to emerge in contemporary French independent music. From the very beginning, she asserted her taste for spontaneous, candid, sunlit music, turning her songs not only into spaces of introspection but also into small capsules for dialogue. She collaborates constantly, with Kim Giani, Jeanne Balibar, Alison Wheeler, Jacques, NUSKY & VAATI, João Selva, Les Clopes…driven by a desire for sharing, for visions that meet and collide across genres. Alongside her work as a composer, she dedicates herself to giving a voice to the artists around her, notably through her show Sooo Pop, broadcast on YouTube in 2018 and 2019, where she welcomed guests as varied as Christophe, Moodoïd, Mathilde Fernandez, Katerine, and The Pirouettes. Like others of her generation, she claims the influence of francophone pop from the 1980s, but rather than being a successor to Jacno, Cléa draws from everything that shapes her era, fully plugged into the present, its faces, its energies, its collisions. She travels too, a way of reshuffling the cards of her inspiration, and her discovery of South America, of bossa nova and samba during her tour dates, became the catalyst for her series of EPs Tropi-Cléa.
- Here And Now, A Free Rock Tentet (1969)
- Riot In The Solbosch (1970)
- Abstract And Concrete (1972)
- Five Sketches For A Short Film (1972)
- Lost In The Farmhouse (1973)
- Modular Excursions At John’s (1975)
- Kosmischer Afternoon (1975)
- The Big Slide (1976)
- Gyrovagations (1976)
- Imaginary Travels With Chris (1976)
- Proto-Kefak (1976)
- Didn’t Make It 1: Balinoid (1977)
- Didn’t Make It 2: Angeloid (1977)
- Java Ney (1977)
- Didn’t Make It 3: The Missing Dance (1977)
- A1: Filastrocca (Nursery Rhyme) 1:11
- A2: Scuola Di Retorica (School Of Rethorics) 2:08
- A3: Retarius In Lotta (Retarius' Fight) 2:13
- A4: Scena, Fiaba, Pantomima (Scene, Tale, Pantomime) 5:24
- A5: Quartilla 0:31
- A6: Quartiere Dei Bordelli (Brothels' Quarter) 2:26
- A7: Mercato, Nebbia (Market, Fog) 1:02
- A8: Orgia (Orgy) 2:34
- B1: Bali 7:02
- B2: Epitaffio (Epitaph) 1:09
- B3: La Nave (The Ship) 1:34
- B4: Inizio Tempesta (Storm Begins) 1:04
- B5: Tempesta Violenta (Violent Storm) 1:30
- B6: Succhiata (Sucking) 0:12
- B7: Naufragio (Shipwreck) 1:33
- B8: Giardino Di Circe (Circe's Garden) 0:43
- B9: Proseleno 0:51
- B10: La Maga (The Witch) 1:19
- B11: Mangiando Il Cadavere + L'uccello (Eating The Corpse + The Bird) 2:27
Within the world of theatrical archives, there are the known, the unknown, the forgotten, and the lost. Demetrio Stratos' stage compositions for Teatro dell'Elfo's groundbreaking 1979 production Satyricon - directed by future Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores - represents one such lost artifact now wondrously returned to life. This radical sonic work, integrating extended vocal techniques, Balinese instruments, and pioneering whale song recordings, stands as the final masterpiece of Italy's most visionary vocal experimenter, lost for over four decades until Die Schachtel's extraordinary recovery. As Stratos himself explained: "The musical operation performed on Satyricon is particular: the composer-musician here does not compose, but borrows ready-made music, vivisects it, melts it, intervenes and recomposes it on magnetic tape. The structure of the signifier, from a morphological point of view, presents itself as a conceptual collage." The music is obtained by utilizing compositions and musical elements from David Behrman, Joan La Barbara, Balinese Ketyak, Turkish Nay flute, Yugoslavian bagpipe, Pan flute, and whale song, with synthesizer interventions by Paolo Tofani. It began as part of something known - a wild, immersive theatrical event that inaugurated Teatro dell'Elfo's historic venue in 1979, was almost entirely forgotten, becoming lost and then unknown. The original production marked a radical departure for the company: no longer popular street theatre, but a dark, immersive, sophisticated spectacle that transformed their space into a rough wooden arena with a sand floor. Demetrio Stratos, working with Paolo Tofani (fellow Area member), created an entire sonic universe that subverted every conventional function of stage music. Their composition wasn't accompaniment, but autonomous sonic dramaturgy that integrated extended vocal techniques, archaic electronic elements, Nay flutes, Balinese instruments, and pioneering whale song recordings. The result was a three-dimensional soundscape that enveloped audiences, creating an otherworldly acoustic dimension. Stratos' score even intervened in the actors' vocal delivery, with the recordings capturing both the performance and his coaching sessions with the cast. The production featured young actors destined for fame - Elio De Capitani, Ferdinando Bruni, Cristina Crippa, Corinna Agustoni, Ida Marinelli - guided by Gabriele Salvatores in this adaptation of Petronius' ancient novel. Shortly after the Satyricon performances, Stratos was hospitalized for the condition that would lead to his death at just 33 years old. This work represents his final composition - a haunting farewell from one of Italy's most innovative sound artists. Die Schachtel presents this recovered work in collaboration with Teatro dell'Elfo, pulled from the original magnetic tape and carefully restored. Satyricon '79 is one of the great artifacts of 1970s Italian avant-garde - a wild, grinding sonic expose which sucks the ear into its depths, made in the spirit of collaboration and creative risk-taking. The edition includes critical apparatus with essays, testimonies from protagonists, and period photographic documentation, documenting an unrepeatable moment where theatre, vocal research and sonic experimentation converged. This release marks a poignant moment in experimental music history - Stratos' final work, now rescued from the archives and restored to its rightful place in the canon of Italian avant-garde masterpieces. A true wonder of towering historical importance. As essential as it gets for any fan of experimental music, or the history of the Italian avant-garde. Fully restored and newly mastered from the original analog tapes. Absolutely essential.
- Para Incomodar
- No Vou Parar De Lutar
- Curso De Liderança
- Tediosa Sobriedade
- Plano De Governo
- Aos Bandeirantes
- Idéias Perdidas
- Heróis Ou Rebeldes
- Conquistas
- Geraço Domesticada
- Até Quando
- Pré-Julgamento
- Nada Fácil Ou Real
- Adiada Pela Ressaca
- Sub-Gerência
- Tiros No Escuro
- País Sem Memória
Mardi Gras Marble Coloured Vinyl Sao Paulo, Brazil's Blind Pigs are excited to give an essential record in their renowned discography - 2006's Heróis ou Rebeldes (Heroes or Rebels) - the re-issue it deserves. Considered by many in the band's home country as their finest release, many fans around the world have yet to hear it. It was originally released only on CD in Brazil, with the lyrics written entirely in Portuguese. Consequently, the band released it under their Portuguese name: Porcos Cegos. However, when it was released, many fans did not realize it was the same band! On top of that, it has never had a release outside of Brazil_until now! Nevertheless, within Brazil, the album was an instant sensation that bridged the gap between punk, streetpunk, and Oi! - exposing the country to sounds influenced by contemporary US streetpunk bands such as Reducers SF, Dropkick Murphys, and the bands on TKO Records. In particular, the title track, for which the band made a music video, became a shout along anthem for the band's fans, AKA "The Legion of the Unconformed." After a 10" vinyl pressing quickly sold out in 2013, the album has been tragically out of print. The new edition on 12" Mardi Gras Marble Vinyl from Pirates Press Records has been remastered by Dan Randall (Subhumans, The Slackers, Fucked Up), bringing new life to a master that the band was never quite satisfied with. With the addition of a song cut from the original tracklisting - "Tiros No Escuro" ("Shots in the Dark") - this is truly the record the band have always wanted fans to hear. And with it finally bearing the name "Blind Pigs" on the cover, there will be no more confusion_and as the band's frontman Henrike Baliu proudly puts it, "the world can finally witness a record that was so important to the Brazilian punk rock scene."
EN/JP liner notes by Doran and a hyper-realistic cover by Japanese visual artist/graphic designer Kai Yoshizawa using 3DCG software.
"8 Automated Works", the first full release by Componium Ensemble, an "indeterminate chamber music" ensemble helmed by Spencer Doran of Visible Cloaks. The project is inspired by the long history of automated musical instruments, beginning with the ancient Greek Archimedes and further developed by the Banū Mūsā brothers in 9th century Baghdad, who "first perfected the concept of a programmable, automated musician: a mechanically controlled flute which used hydraulic water pressure and a system of arrangeable punchcards using a visionary proto-MIDI structure", as Doran explains in the liner notes. This mechanical music-making was extended a millennium later with the use of aleatoric principles by the European Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel, inventor of the self-composing Componium mechanical music system. Doran continues this lineage further, using the possibilities of digital technology and its ability to automate a huge range of virtual instruments and introduce aleatoric elements, moving beyond human impulses and limitations, allowing "new shapes to emerge". Dedicated also to Noah Creshevsky, pioneer of what can be considered cyber-human music, Componium Ensemble features a wide and intriguing range of instruments including prepared piano, bowed harpsichord, celesta, bass clarinet, flute, cello, Balinese tingklik, and more, often in multiple groupings. Despite this variety of instrumentation and the seemingly formidable theoretical underpinnings, the music is very accessible and attractive, spacious and fresh, with a light touch and a sophisticated melodic sense which will appeal to pop fans as well as classical/contemporary music listeners. The album is mixed by longtime collaborator Joe Williams (Motion Graphics, Lifted) and available in 10-inch vinyl, ,
Adam Wise, you may know, is Fabulous Lover and this new record marks his first for Pete Herbert's Music for Swimming Pools. It's a mature mix of 80s-inspired Balearic electro-funk with a tropical twist straight from his Bali studio. This sun-soaked collection bridges sunset vibes and dancefloor energy with 'It's Lonely At The Top' a funky opener with a squelchy bassline and playful riffs. 'Elevate' douses you in 80s synth sounds that glow warm, and label head remixes into a more buoyant Balearic house beat. Elsewhere is the gentle swagger of 'Low Bounce' and lush synth disco buzz of 'Automatic.' Feel-good grooves, for sure.
DJ Feedback
Ed Templ�:
"Stunning release!!"
Ben Gomori:
"Another beaut from Pete, gorgeous stuff"
Dicky Trisco:
"Nice chilled Balearic vibes"
Pathaan:
"Top release! Top package!"
S/A/M:
"Chunky, squelchy delights just how we like it :)"
Mat Anthony:
"Brilliant EP of 80's infused machine funk"
Justin Deighton:
"Will be playing a selection of these"
Joey Fitzgerald:
"Nice work!"
Bill Brewster:
"It's Lonely At The Top is the best track"
“Tunggak Semi” is the third album from Indonesian musician and producer Bambang Pranoto. Originally released in 2000, it’s an exemplary slice of what has become his signature style, a dream-like meditation on aspects of nature, combining elements of accordion, acoustic guitar, flute and percussion. The compositions cross eastern and western notation to inhabit a world of their own, a world between worlds, where harmonies reflect the beauty and joy of nature.
Bambang had a rather atypical entry into music, and studied electronics and telecommunications, before he took advantage of the wave of computer software like Cubase and Protools in the 1990s that enabled him to set about recording his own compositions and soundscapes. After playing in groups, he developed his own approach to constructing his productions. He invites musicians to record interpretations of his themes, which he then pieces together in Protools like a jigsaw puzzle. “The musicians have never even met!” he chuckled on a Skype call.
“Tunggak Semi” refers to the giant trees that appear all over Bali, and their process of renewal and regeneration. “If you cut the tree, and leave the roots, they will grow again. Everytime we cut, they grow again. It’s limitless. This philosophy means there’s always something new coming, whether an idea or music, anything.” This approach has grown out of Bambang’s studies into meditation, including Indian and Chinese scriptures, also Balinese and Indonesian religions. Music, like meditation, is a daily practice, and acceptance of the music and its ‘unfinishedness’, forms a central part of the process.
“We must not just think, but we must also feel, and we must accept that feeling,” explains Bambang, and that’s a step of opening one’s mind to possibility. It seems in keeping with two of Bambang’s musical inspirations, namely Ryuichi Sakamoto and Peter Gabriel, both known for their love of world folk music, and fusion of musical traditions. That’s mirrored in Bambang’s own collage-like approach, recording elements and piecing them together to make something unimagined. While the acoustic sound palette for “Tunggak Semi” is rooted in live recordings, Bambang is not afraid to put the digital technology to good use.
“We have to use the computer as a tool in the best way we can,” Bambang says. “Sometimes people say music is made by people, not by the computer, but it’s just another piece of equipment. What can we compose from this equipment? It’s technology music!”
Written and produced by Bambang Pranoto at interactive garden studio, Depok, Bogor between September and December 2001. 2025 version remastered by Wouter Brandenburg at Brandenburg Mastering.
Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue another Warda classic from the 70s, We Malo, originally recorded in 1975 by the legendary Arabic Diva who has sampled by Jay-Z and J Dilla. The album blends traditional Arabic music with 1970s grooves, showcasing Warda's distinct vocal style. She is accompanied by a full-sized orchestra, updating the classy traditional sound with modern instruments (electric guitar, organ). We Malo was penned by composer Baligh Hamdi. This reissue features newly remastered audio, original cassette artwork and a two-page insert with a new introduction by Mario Choueiry from the Institut du Monde Arabe
- A1: Main Title
- A2: The Hidden Hand
- A3: Sisterhood Choir Ritual
- A5: Our Past Always Finds Us
- A6: Push And Pull
- A7: Lankiveil
- A8: You Did This
- B1: Arrakis
- B2: Entering Landsraad
- B3: Obligated To Follow
- B4: God Created Arrakis
- B5: The Emperor
- B6: Give It Some Rest
- B7: Arrest Her
- B8: Opening The Inquest
- B9: Spaceport
- B10: Chamber Baliset
Dune: Prophecy is an HBO original series based on the
best-selling books by Frank Herbert and Brian Herbert, and a spin-off to the blockbuster movies of Dune.
The music for the series was composed by Academy Award-winning composer Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on
the Western Front, Conclave, Lion), whose evocative, futuris- tic ambience, meets bold, powerful orchestral tracks on this score, accompanying the story.
Set 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, Dune: Prophecy follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind and establish the fa- bled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by the novel “Sisterhood of Dune”, writ- ten by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
The soundtrack of Dune: Prophecy is available as a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies on orange “Spice” marbled vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with pictures from the series.
Alexandre Tharaud mit drei Uraufführungen
Das neue Album des vielseitigen französischen Star-Pianisten Alexandre Tharaud enthält drei Klavierkonzerte, allesamt Uraufführungen, die für ihn geschrieben und ihm gewidmet wurden. O-Töne der Komponisten zu ihren Werken:
Alex Nante: „Das Spiel von Alexandre Tharaud war für mich während der gesamten Komposition des Stücks eine Inspiration. Von der ersten Toccata im Barockstil über die geschmeidige, kristalline Atmosphäre von Anunciación bis hin zu den energischen und kraftvollen Klängen von Toccata II war es meine Absicht, in diesem Werk besondere interpretatorische Facetten zu erforschen, über die er verfügt."
Thierry Pécou: “Cara Bali“ könnte man mit ‚Bali-Stil‘ übersetzen. Mir ging es nicht darum, das Unnachahmliche zu imitieren, sondern im Kopf Assoziationen zu wecken (...) - eine Art imaginärer Umweg oder Szenenwechsel bei einem Projekt, das mich glücklicherweise wieder mit meinem treuen Komplizen Alexandre Tharaud zusammengebracht hat...“
Ramon Lazkano: „Dieses Konzert ist in erster Linie die Frucht einer großen Freundschaft zwischen Alexandre Tharaud und mir und unserer Liebe zu unserem Instrument, dem Klavier, mit all seinen vertrauten Merkmalen, aber auch mit seinen verborgenen Formen der Verzauberung.“
- Lost
- Chupa Chups
- The Hands Of Time
- Red And Blue And Green
- Eff Emm Ell Baby
- Numero Ono
- Otta My Way
- Zap
- Humble Pie
- Dreamz
- Jet Pack
- Machine Mind
- Faded
- Clear The Air
- Unclearly
- Darkness Falss
- Dial Up
- Running
- Sei Cardigani Di Bali
- Skeleton Key
- Day One
- Lemon Tarts
- Follow The Light
- Top Down
- Snoozin
- Emenee
- Rock Candy
- Senza Tutti
BLUE VINYL[23,49 €]
'001-015' is a "best of" compilation celebrating the first 15 sample packs made by Frollen Music Library. Launching in late 2021, the sample house has since been featured in productions by ScHoolboy Q, Leon Thomas, Devin Malik and more. This retrospective "best of" traverses a wide range of styles and moods to appeal to every music enthusiast as well as producers and songwriters alike. Whether it's bouncing Hip Hop beats or evocative cinematic etudes, FML's 3- piece house band, comprising Henry Jenkins, Darvid Thor and Hudson Whitlock have a deep love and respect for many musical styles. FML'sdiverse catalogue takes cues from the 'Third Stream' composer David Axelrod, as well as drawing upon cinematic themes from 60's and 70's Italian film score composers a la Ennio Morricone and Riz Ortolani. There are 90's New York boom bap beats, as well as synthesiser music inspired by Tonto, , utilising a locally made synthesiser from Melbourne Instruments. Jenkins, Thor and Whitlock have been playing in bands and producing music for their local music scene for the last 15 years. Recording and performing with The Cactus Channel, Karate Boogaloo, Mo'Ju, Surprise Chef and many many more. Not only is this brand-new LP a great musical collage worthy of any music library enthusiast, but also functions as a tremendous sampler demonstrating the many styles of FML. Fast, slow, sweet AND sour!
'001-015' is a "best of" compilation celebrating the first 15 sample packs made by Frollen Music Library. Launching in late 2021, the sample house has since been featured in productions by ScHoolboy Q, Leon Thomas, Devin Malik and more. This retrospective "best of" traverses a wide range of styles and moods to appeal to every music enthusiast as well as producers and songwriters alike. Whether it's bouncing Hip Hop beats or evocative cinematic etudes, FML's 3- piece house band, comprising Henry Jenkins, Darvid Thor and Hudson Whitlock have a deep love and respect for many musical styles. FML'sdiverse catalogue takes cues from the 'Third Stream' composer David Axelrod, as well as drawing upon cinematic themes from 60's and 70's Italian film score composers a la Ennio Morricone and Riz Ortolani. There are 90's New York boom bap beats, as well as synthesiser music inspired by Tonto, , utilising a locally made synthesiser from Melbourne Instruments. Jenkins, Thor and Whitlock have been playing in bands and producing music for their local music scene for the last 15 years. Recording and performing with The Cactus Channel, Karate Boogaloo, Mo'Ju, Surprise Chef and many many more. Not only is this brand-new LP a great musical collage worthy of any music library enthusiast, but also functions as a tremendous sampler demonstrating the many styles of FML. Fast, slow, sweet AND sour!
Balistik, historical sub-label from FullBass strikes again !
Featuring Akouphen, original member of the Vital prod pool, and some crazy Tribe Tekno fellows, as R4LPH Pathetik and Le Troll à Roulette and his good mood sound... With Tournevis and his pumpin' kick science !
High Stuff !
ENJOY !
- Balisong
- Party Animal
- Only One
- Leave A Little Light On
- Time Moves On
- Through The Trees
- Torture Me
- Dear Dead End
- Waiting For The Lights To Change
- Gold Body Spray
- Rotk
"Phantom Planet has returned! After a decade plus long hiatus, the band reunited in 2019 and released Devastator in 2020, their first full-length since 2008's Raise The Dead.
Devastator featuring the singles ""Time Moves On,"" ""Only One,"" and ""Balisong."" Pressed on limited edition vinyl in two colors, Yellow and Black, respectively.
Jazz & Milk-Labelhead und Freestyle-DJ-Koryphäe Dusty aus München meldet sich mit seiner neuen EP "As Above So Below" zurück, die gefühlvoll, warm und grenzüberschreitend Deep-House-Grooves mit Elementen aus Jazz, Dub und westafrikanischen Rhythmen kombiniert, die einen Sound erzeugen, der ebenso introspektiv wie dancefloortauglich ist. Die EP ist eine berauschende Mischung der rohen Stimmkraft und den perkussiven Rhythmen des ghanaischen Künstlers King Owusu (Jembaa Groove), der die Bühne mit Legenden wie Ebo Taylor und Pat Thomas teilte, und erscheint zum 20-jährigen Labeljubiläum in 2025. Support kommt von Peter Kruder, Severino, Don Letts, Opolopo und dem jüngst verstorbenen DJ Harvey. Dusty legt weiterhin weltweit - Johannesburg bis Istanbul, Manila bis London - auf, veranstaltet die Jazz & Milk-Labelabende in München und Köln und eine Radiosendung auf dublab.de moderiert.
"Full support of EP!" - DJ Harvey, Klymax Bali, International Feel, Pikes
"Very nice! Thank you!" - Peter Kruder, Kruder & Dorfmeister
"Great EP! Love it!" - Ruff Stuff, Shall Not Fade
"SEXY... DEEEEEP." - Severino, Horse Meat Disco
"Warm and deep - very nice!" - Opolopo
"Good to go on Culture Clash Radio!" - Don Letts, BBC Radio 6 Music
Out of the murky, mystic world of Komodo Kolektif slides the Gamma Knife.
In the corner of a dank, dark mind, a nebulous notion condenses and solidifies, featureless and blind...and from that Komodo Klay a new kreature is hacked, molded and (mal)formed.
“The foundations of some of these pieces were laid almost a decade ago, others more recently. All of them came into being as sketches intended as Komodo Kolektif tracks to develop but for various reasons this didn't happen. The Seven Heavenly Elements was first presented to the group in 2019 but partly through personal differences in musical taste as well as COVID throwing a spanner in the works it was put aside and never worked on collectively. The two Disciple of the Drum 'dubs' are essentially rhythm tracks using the rhythm and percussion of Disciple Of The Drone, also from 2019, stripping away the drone, the gamelan melody and finally, even the bass line, which was initially intended to be the fundamental driving force of at least one of these dubs. In the end neither of these two tracks became anything like the idea that I had in mind, but that's how creativity works sometimes. The vocal parts in Cantation Dub were added most recently, just a few months ago. Fire Dub is just an exercise in me trying to rein in some insane delays and barely managing. The Ghost of Water is an anomaly because many of the fundamental parts are taken from the same jam session recorded in 2015 that led to Djakarta 3001 from the first EP. If you listen closely you'll hear Graeme Miller on guitar (back when guitar was still featured in our weekly jam sessions). I discovered this unedited hour-long jam session on an older hard drive in late 2023 and decided to fashion something from it until what became Ghost of Water materialised: the heavily delayed saron instruments, the jaw harp, the percussion and so on. What makes the track an anomaly is that it is in some ways both the oldest and newest piece of the five. The Seventh Element takes one of the seven elements of The Seven Heavenly Elements (in this case the Mopho synth tuned to the Indonesian pelog scale and ran through the Boss DE-200's depth modulator) to which I then added some gong parts and field recordings from Bali.
Once complete, I realised with an album's worth of material sitting there which was more “Komodo Kolektif” than anything I would normally produce solo, there came the problem of trying to work out what to do with this distinctly Komodo-esque, non-Komodo material. I came up with the idea of releasing it under the name Komodo Kuts...but a part of me felt I'd be cashing in on the Komodo name so ditched that part entirely...but the kuts remained, which seemed appropriate when used alongside my Gamma Knife moniker (which has a long story of its own...in a nutshell I had a benign brain tumour which only 1 in 10,000 people get and which is most frequently removed with a gamma knife (radiation). In medical parlance the device used in this treatment is often shortened to GK machine. I had been using the DJ name GK Machine, which came from my signature GK Mackinnon, since 1994, in other words long before this diagnosis. In the end I had brain surgery in Spain without use of gamma radiation...but the synchronicity of the name connection fascinated me nevertheless. Sometimes the world works in mysterious ways).
Lastly, now that I've sent these tracks out into the world, I feel somewhat liberated and can move on from this fairly niche and specific sound. The gamelan instruments have been returned to Gamelan Naga Mas, from who we'd borrowed them, and the masks hung up. This does not mean that Graeme Miller and I won't work together again in future...I'm sure we will...it just means we won't be tied to working within the constraints of gamelan, synths, percussion and dub that we became known for. So stay tuned...surely something lurks around the corner” GKM, November 2024
- A – Desert Rose
- B- Tnt
On their debut 45 for Batov Records, Indonesia-based BABON deliver two irresistible jams, cooked from a recipe full of Indonesian flavours, Afro Latin funk, Morricone grooves, Bollywood breaks and blues, they call “Tropical Desert Music”. A must-hear for fans of Surprise Chef, Khruangbin, or Sababa 5.
Drummer Wahyudi T. Raupp and multi-instrumentalist Rayi Raditia, friends since high school in Jakarta, via university life in Melbourne, formed BABON in 2023 to address environmental issues through instrumental music, thus combining
two mutual passions.
Working in their home studio free of time restraints, Babon developed their “Tropical Desert Music’’ sound, mixing the energy and influences of Melbourne’s vibrant music scene, with traditional Indonesian forms, from the pulsating rhythms of dangdut, and gamelan, the ritualistic percussion ensemble music native to Java and Bali, to keroncong, a popular and melodic folk style; while addressing environmental concerns and societal complexities, such as the
impact of ruthless exploitation on tropical regions.
On the A-side, “Desert Rose” is a spaghetti blues dedicated to the widows marginalised and objectified by mine workers. Rayi’s electric guitar gently wails with the cinematic effect akin to a Tarantino soundtrack, over a hypnotic groove that never grows tired.
On the flip, “TNT” explores the moral dilemma faced by a miner torn between the destructive nature of his occupation and the dire financial needs of his family, leading to a downward spiral of alcohol abuse. Slowly raising tension levels,
BABON pit somber organ riffs over bass guitar fuzz and Indonesian-sounding guitar motifs, leading to a final explosion
of guitars and drums. BABON’s “Tropical Desert Music” perfectly complements Batov Records’ rich catalogue of Middle Eastern grooves and is an irresistible sound its own right with a poignant message.




















