The Progressive Aspect : Excellent Dwiki Dharmawan – Pasar Klewer Review in U.K

Dwiki Dharmawan is a fantastic pianist and another Indonesian treasure unearthed by MoonJune Records’ unending exploration of that country’s vast music scene. It should come as no surprise that in a country with a population of approximately 250 million, albeit with presumably less access to electric instruments and state of the art recording facilities than we in the West take for granted, that there are dozens if not hundreds of superlative players within its borders, and Dwiki Dharmawan is certainly amongst that category.

MoonJune’s Indonesian jungle raids have mostly returned with splendid guitarists, but Dharmawan is a keyboard player whose instrument of choice is the piano, the acoustic version of which he restricts himself to on this wondrous double CD. His playing has a fluid liquidity, often enlivened by a ferocious element, evoking mental images of rapids coursing through rain forests, especially when accompanied by jungle-esque found sounds, as on the expansive 12-minute opening title track.

Pasar Klewer is named after the largest textile market on Java, a hustling and bustling place represented in the cover painting, depicting the market denizens being entertained by a local folk group. The album was recorded in London in 2015 using Dharmawan’s core trio, which in addition to the pianist comprises bassist Yaron Stavi and drummer/percussionist Asaf Sirkis. These three are backed by a multi-national ensemble, and it is indeed fitting that the record was recorded in the world’s most multi-cultural city, hence the track in tribute, the foggy London In June, an odd amalgamation of Boris Salvoldelli’s chirping and whooping scat vocals and a jazzy vibe from the band, led by Dwiki’s highly expressive piano excursion.

The instrumentation on this album is stunning…no, really, it is. The third track Campuhan features a gamelan orchestra and percussion, and Gilad Atzmon’s sax work here is simply the best I’ve heard in many a moon. Atzmon’s solo surges along on waves of piano and drumming counterpoint before floating back down to the core melody, where he is joined by Dwiki’s waterfall of piano notes, and the track is by then only just past halfway into its 13 minutes. To say that Campuhan is mesmerising is but a fraction of the praise this one track deserves. That the rest of the album lives up to it is testament to Dharmawan’s compositional and arrangement capacities, and the skill of the players he has surrounded himself with.

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  • […] l’album “So far so close”, sorti l’an dernier chez Moonjune Records, ce label américain édite un nouvel album de Dwiki […]
    —Musicinbelgium : DHARMAWAN, Dwiki – Pasar klewer | Dwiki Dharmawan (19/10/2016)
    Musicinbelgium.net : DHARMAWAN, Dwiki – So far so close
  • Maju Terus Musik Atjeh, Dengan Mengedepankan Asas Seuramoe Mekkah akan mengangkat Martabat Kande Dimata Dunia..Beusaban Pikee Nak Saban Seunang.
    —AtjehonLine.com (06/12/2011)
    Launch of KanDe ‘Meukeondroe’
  • Om Dwiki, konser Menembus Batas tahun ini ada???
    —Danuve (22/07/2010)
    KONSER MENEMBUS BATAS
  • where i can watch the videos... thanks before
    —indyastari (16/07/2010)
    World Peace Orchestra presents The Soul of Indonesia
  • Syabas buat Dwiki Dharmawan Orchestra..ianya adalah diantara konser yang terbaik yang pernah saya tonton walaupun hanya di kaca tv..Ada konser ini telah dirakamkan ke dalam bentuk cakera padat?Jika ada,saya ingin sekali memilikinya..
    —ida (25/09/2009)
    KONSER MENEMBUS BATAS
  • Setelah mendengar album ini, saya bangga sekali rasanya jadi Orang Indonesia. Betapa kekayaan budaya kita (yg dalam hal ini adalah musik daerah tradisional) begitu kaya dan indah, kali ini yang diangkat adalah musik daerah timur indonesia. Setelah diolah oleh orang-orang berbakat seperti Dwiki Dharmawan mampu menjadi sajian yang sangat berkelas, kolaborasi antara alat musik tradisional seperti sasando, dan keyboard yang dikemas dalam bentuk Orkestra menjadikan Album ini sangat layak untuk diapresiasi dengan nilai yang sangat tinggi. Terus Berkarya Musisi Indonesia, dan mari ikut serta Memvoting Taman Nasional Komodo masuk kedalam 7 Keajaiban Dunia yang baru.
    —Andian (15/08/2009)
    CD Dwiki Dharmawan – World Peace Orchestra now available
  • om gw ingin bli kasetnya tapi harus mesen ya, jauh bner kalau mesen,sayakan di palembang, pasti mahal harganya blum ongkos kirimnya,saya ingin bnget mempunyai c.dnya
    —roy (13/07/2009)
    CD Dwiki Dharmawan – World Peace Orchestra now available
  • anda bs memesan via WartaJazz.com, dan nanti akan di kirim via TIKI. silakan kontak sales@wartajazz.net atau telp ke 021-8310769
    —admin (07/07/2009)
    CD Dwiki Dharmawan – World Peace Orchestra now available
  • Saya tertarik dengan album WPO ini, apakah selain memesan juga bisa ditemukan di toko musik? Kalau iya, di toko mana ya?
    —Gomat (30/06/2009)
    CD Dwiki Dharmawan – World Peace Orchestra now available
  • Beautiful music, amazing talent of Dwiki and a great production...im very proud to play within this project as a special guest. Kamal M
    —Kamal Musallam (12/06/2009)
    CD Dwiki Dharmawan – World Peace Orchestra now available
  • HAloo Cross Culture Music sangat membuat kita gelisah Jalan teruuus Salam
    —dwiki (07/02/2009)
    “Ilir-ilir” Concert in Beijing
  • Salam kenal Mas, kami pernah juga mengkolaborasikan musik Sunda dan Tionghua, di link ini http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWWEm_xI27U mudah-mudahan suatu waktu kita dapat bekerja sama. Terima Kasih
    —Andry Harmony (04/01/2009)
    “Ilir-ilir” Concert in Beijing

Electronic Press Kit

Dwiki Dharmawan is among Indonesia’s most gifted and celebrated music personalities: a multi-genre keyboardist; skilled composer and producer, and; a conscientious peace activist, equally committed to ecological preservation.

EPK