New works in the making.. Gong Tirta stretching the brains and flexing the muscles.
19th of April 2026 is a date to note in your agenda now! Gong Tirta will bring it to your ears and minds.
Their studio in the Gamelanhuis Amsterdam is brewing with fresh energy and bursting inspiration as Gamelanfusion band Gong Tirta is hitting new soundwaves and exploring uncharted territory. The expanded line-up opens up new possibilities to go deeper into the arrangements. At the same time the ever expanding experience in combining gamelan with its counterparts from other cultures breathes fresh life into the genre.
The 2020 Corona lockdown gave birth to its very own hymn, the electronic ‘Trance Morphations’ which Renadi composed while locked in complete solitude. A 25-minutes piece that meandered all over the place. From contemporary classic, prog, lounge, trance, dance to tribal and pop, it draws out over a trancy beat with a long set of lyrics that exposed some of the less savoury behaveouristics that boiled up during this period of uncertainty and chaos closely reigned in.
Now a shorter gamelan version is in the making as we speak! Themes of ‘Gambaland’ are embedded, a composition by guitarist Jeroen, which Renadi arranged quite drastically to fit into the music world of ‘Trance Morphations’. But the gentle melody also spills over beyond into a piece of its own.
And from a very different direction (the after-summer beach at Zandvoort) came the inspiration for ‘The AEternal Jellyfish’. A new piece that wonders over the mind-boggling Turritopsis Dohrnii, a creature that grows ever younger towards its final days.
But some older stuff is also ‘rejuvenated’. ‘ZapHooligan’, ‘Devachan II’, ‘Krawang Bekasi’, Silence Woke Up’ and ‘Kacang Lupa’ were risen from the vaults and their meaning and relevance renewed.
So don’t miss out on this electrifying journey of sound and emotion. Reserve the date: Sunday 19th of April 2026 at the Gamelanhuis in Amsterdam. Mail gongtirta@gmail.com to await the latest.
Renadi Santoso
