Progressor : Dwiki Dharmawan – 2015 – “So Far So Close”
Prolusion. Indonesian composer and musician Dwiki DHARMAWAN has a career spanning multiple decades in his native country, as a member of the band Krakatau, as a central part in the World Peace Orchestra, as well as a solo recording and performing artist. Released in 2015, “So Far So Close” is the first of his solo productions to be widely available in the western hemispheres. Besides Dewa Budjana and Tohpati, both of whom are the bright rising stars of the genre, it features three really famous jazz-rock musicians – violinist Jerry Goodman, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Chad Wackerman.
Analysis. Moonjune Records is a label with a reputation for finding quality artists most of us have never heard about that explore progressive rock, with something of an emphasis on artists that are active in the more jazz-oriented segments of this type of music. The label has released its fair share of high-quality material by Indonesian artists in particular that falls within this context, and Dharmawan is a solid addition to that list. Open, inviting and elegant jazz rock is the dominant trait of this production. Carefully layered keyboard arrangements are something of a defining trait for the recording, with electric piano and vintage-like keyboard and synthesizer layers, combining in elegant arrangements as key features throughout, and also with room for some nice vintage-era organ details here and there
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