Over the last decade, Gamelan X has established a reputation for bringing an innovative twist to the art of Balinese marching percussion music known as gamelan beleganjur. Named ‘the Funkadelic of Ethnomusicology’ by the San Francisco Chronicle, Gamelan X lives up to its name by delivering high-energy performances of new works by Balinese and American musicians. While drawing inspiration strongly from their roots in Balinese gamelan music and dance, Gamelan X incorporates elements of modern art music, rock, samba, funk, and North Indian tabla into a unique and sophisticated spice blend. Through their diverse influences, Gamelan X achieves a versatile and energetic sound world; contrasting invigorating, interlocking rhythms of cymbals with spacious breaths of flutes and vibrating gongs.
Essential to Gamelan X’s uniqueness is the musical contribution of its performers. The group itself includes many composer-performers and traditional gamelan musicians, providing an unusual degree of insight into the creation and performance of new works for gamelan. Additionally, Gamelan X is known for their cross-cultural collaborations with internationally-renowned Balinese musicians and composers, notably I Gede Oka Artha Negara, I Dewa Putu Berata, and I Made Subandi. In 2015, Gamelan X’s energetically prolific composer and previous Artistic Director, Dan Bales, collaborated with two up-and-coming Balinese composers, Jocker Winangun and I Made Pasta, to create the piece, Joker’s Wild 7 (2015), which was notably performed by Gamelan X in a first place-winning performance at the 2015 Burning Man Marching Band Competition.
Gamelan X is continually creating new works and recently premiered a new piece by current Artistic Director and composer, Ed Garcia. Garcia’s new work, Division (2015), features a collaboration with his wife and Sundanese dancer, Cia Yustiani, and musician/dancer, Maurissa Dorn. The dance reveals a striking narrative on the division of good and evil within oneself. Division features Garcia’s mastery of Sundanese drumming and the melodic element of aluminum plate gongs, made by Gamelan X in the production of the Reflective Resonance art project.
In 2013, Gamelan X developed and performed an arrangement of the title track of Radiohead’s album ‘Kid A,’ reimagined for Gamelan X’s instrumentation and approach. The performance was presented by Bay Area music collective ‘UnderCover Presents,’ a concert series in which local artists perform their unique interpretation of one song from a classic album. Gamelan X’s performance was praised by the East Bay Express for their “inspired take on the minimalist title track [Kid A], turning it into a richly textured, Balinese-flavored number, replete with the deep hum of gongs, exotic wind instruments, and strings.” Due to the success of the first ‘Kid A’ performance, Gamelan X was invited to perform again in the 2016 ‘UnderCover Presents’ concert series to a sold-out audience.
Through a strong community of musicians and artists with diverse interests, tastes, and approaches, Gamelan X brings a sense of adventure to the gamelan soundscape and engages audiences from the street and the stage.
International Tours:
July 2005- Bali Arts Festival, Bali Indonesia
July 2005 - Jogjakarta Gamelan Festival, Bali Indonesia
July 2005- STSI, Indonesia’s Premier Arts Institution, Solo, Java
American Appearances:
2016
Jun 3-5, 2016- Kid A, the Independent, San Francisco, CA
Apr 30, 2016- Indo Food Fest, Foothill College, Los Altos, CA
Mar 26, 2016- Freak Nest, The Cave, San Francisco, CA
Mar 3, 2016- Solid Gold, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Feb 9, 2016- Active Music Series, Omni Commons, Oakland, CA
2015
Dec 3, 2015- EP release Drea.M and Nikki Borodi, Awaken Cafe, Oakland, CA
Nov 8, 2015- Percussion!, Berkeley Arts Fest, Berkeley, CA
Oct 18, 2015- Gamelan Sumit, Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, CA
Aug 31, 2015- Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV
Aug 8, 2015- GX Engagement Party, Jewel Box, Oakland, CA
July 18, 2015- Mission Delirium Fundraiser, Flava Packet, Emeryville, CA
July 15, 2015- Ecstatic Dance, Oakland, CA
April 12, 2015- Lucidity Festival, Santa Barbara, CA
April 3, 2015- First Friday (Fanfare Zambaleta), Awaken Café, Oakland, CA
2014
Nov 12, 2014- Ecstatic Dance Sweets Ballroom, Oakland, CA
Nov 2, 2014- Day of the Dead, San Francisco, CA
June 7, 2014- Lydz Music Center, Emeryville, CA
May 30, 2014- Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA (w/ GSJ jegog)
May 25, 2014- Lightning in a Bottle, CA
May 10, 2014- Psych Fest, Bootleg Theater, Los Angeles, CA
May 9, 2014- New Parish (M4, Loyd Family players) Oakland, CA
Apr 26, 2014- Rhythmix (Fanfare Zambaleta), Alameda, CA
Apr 21, 2014- WeHo Mayor inauguration, Los Angeles, CA
Apr 13, 2014- Lucidity Festival, Santa Barbara, CA
Apr 12, 2014- Switchboard Festival, San Francisco, CA
Mar 21, 2014- La Pena (w/ Kuckaw), Oakland, CA
Feb 22, 2014- Starline Social Club, Oakland, CA
Feb 12, 2014- Ecstatic Dance, Sweet’s ballroom, Oakland, CA
Jan 25, 2014- Awaken Café (w/ Mission Delirium) Oakland, CA
2013
Dec 12, 2013- Gateway Middle School, San Francisco, CA
Aug 30, 2013- Burning Man, Black Rock, NV
Aug 3, 2013- Oakland Art and Soul, Oakland, CA
July 13, 2013- Shambala, San Francisco, CA
June 15, 2013- Precompression, Culture Factory, San Francisco, CA
June 2013- Ecstatic Dance, Oakland, CA
June 2013- Brick and Mortar (w/ NVO), San Francisco, CA
May 11, 2013- Old Crow Tattoo, Oakland, CA
May, 2013- Hawk Hill Tunnel, San Francisco, CA
Apr 20, 2013- Cloud 9 (w/ Samba Drop), Berkeley, CA
Apr 5, 2013- First Friday, Oakland, CA
Mar 4, 2013- Crystal Ballroom, Ashland, CA
Feb 23-25, 2013- Rickshaw Stop (w/ Inspector Gadje), San Francisco, CA
Feb 15, 2013- Crucible, Oakland, CA
2012
Dec 7, 2012- Awaken Café, Oakland, CA
Nov 16, 2012- 388 9th, San Francisco, CA
Nov 10, 2012- Peralta Junction, Oakland, CA
Oct 31, 2012- Spirit Stomp, Ashkenaz, Berkeley, CA
Oct 20, 2012- “UP” Halladie Plaza, San Francisco, CA
Sep 28, 2012- “2 Blocks of Art” 995 Market st San Francisco, CA
Aug 27, 2012- Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV
May 18, 2012- Black Rock Foundation “ArtPad”, Phoenix Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Apr 7, 2012- “The Science of Art” Spring Open House, Crucible, Oakland, CA
Mar 30, 2012- Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
Mar 8, 2012- Signal Flow Music and Sound Art Festival, Littlefield Concert Hall, Oakland, CA
2011
Nov 2, 2011- Day of Dead Parade, San Francisco, CA
Oct 29, 2011- “Spider Ball”, Bentley Reserve, San Francisco, CA
Sep 2-3, 2011- Burning Man 2011, Black Rock City, NV
Aug 31, 2011- Center Camp at Burning Man 2011,Black Rock City, NV
July 23, 2011- Indonesian Day at Union Square, San Francisco, CA
May 21, 2011- Asian Heritage Day at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
May 21, 2011- 7th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration, San Francisco, CA
May 13, 2011- San Francisco Arts Commission at UN Plaza, San Francisco, CA
May 1, 2011- Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
2010
Nov 20, 2010- The Black Rock Arts Foundation (BRAF) 4th Annual Artumnal Gathering, the Bently Reserve, San Francisco, CA
Nov 6, 2010- Tech Awards 2010 at Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA
Sep 18, 2010 Recording Session: Gede Beleganjur, Dewa Beleganjur, Oakland, CA
Sep 4, 2010- The Burn at Burning Man 2010, Black Rock City, NV
Sept 3, 2010- Marching Band Competition at Burning Man 2010
July 31, 2010- Indonesia Day at Union Square, San Francisco, CA
July 19, 2010 – 1015 Folsom, San Francisco, CA
2009
Aug 1, 2009 – Sengthongs Blue Sky Room, Dunsmuir, CA
July 3-6, 2009 – High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA
June 20, 2009 – Ashkenaz, w/ Sweet Snacks , Berkeley, CA
May 24, 2009 – BoBo Link Festival , Belden, CA
Apr 26, 2009 – New Living Expo, San Francisco, CA
Apr 12, 2009 – Yuri’s Night at NASA , Mountain View, CA
Apr 10, 2009 – DNA Lounge , San Francisco, CA
Apr 5, 2009 – Julia Morgan Theatre with Gamelan Sekar Jaya , Berkeley, CA
Mar 30, 2009 – Switchboard Music Festival at Dance Mission , San Francisco, CA
Mar 29, 2009 – Cell Space , San Francisco, CA
Mar 8, 2009 – Fulkerson Recital Hall , Arcata, CA
Mar 4, 2009 – Crystal Ballroom , w/March Fourth Marching Band! , Portland, OR
Mar 3, 2009 – Nectar Lounge , Seattle, WA
Mar 1, 2009 – Sam Bond’s Garage , Eugene, OR
Feb 29, 2009 – MOBIUS , Ashland, OR
Feb 22, 2009 – Ashkenaz, w/Brass Menazeri , Berkeley, CA
Jan 9, 2009 – Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
2008
Nov 14, 2008 – Green Fest, San Francisco, CA
Oct 18, 2008 -Starry Plough , Berkeley, CA
2007
Oct, 2007- Burning Man Decompression Party, San Francisco, CA
Sept, 2007- Earthdance, Northern CA
July, 2007- Oregon Country Fair, Eugene, OR
June, 2007- CalArts Showcase, San Francisco, CA
June, 2007 -Chilla Vista, Santa Barbara, CA
May, 2007- Lightning in a Bottle, Santa Barbara, CA
May, 2007- Cinco de Playa, Oakland, CA
May, 2007- Ashkenaz with Brass Menazerie, Berkeley, CA
Feb, 2007- Raindance Chinese New Year, San Francisco, CA
Feb, 2007- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2006
July, 2006 -Oregon Country Fair – Eugene, OR
2006- Burning Man Decompression Party, San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA
2006- Anon Salon Sea of Dreams, San Francisco, CA
2006- Salmon Nation, Portland, OR
2006- Reggae on the River, California
2006- Lightning in A Bottle, Santa Barbara, CA
2006- Expo Gala, San Francisco, CA
2006- BURNT, Oakland, CA
2006- 28th Annual Harmony Festival, Northern CA
2006- Whole Earth Festival, Davis, CA
2006- San Francisco Pride, San Francisco, CA
2005
2005- Art in Freedom Park, Atlanta, GA
2005- Connect, San Francisco, CA
2005- artSFest, San Francisco, CA
2005- NACA Conference, Chattanooga, TN
2005- S.F. Theater Festival, San Francisco, CA
2004
2004- Flipside, Austin, TX
2004- S.F. Theater Festival , San Francisco, CA
2004- Kaosmosis, Portland, OR
2004- Ripe, Atlanta, GA
2004- Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV
2003
2003- Ripe, Atlanta, GA
2003- Burning Man, Black Rock City, NV