Ngaio Gamelan

David Parsons | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 15, 1999)
• Original Release Date: June 11, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Celestial Harmonies
• ASIN: B00000J8MV
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,565 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parsons back in fine form, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ngaio Gamelan (Audio CD)

 

David Parsons- Ngaio Gamelan

Celestial Harmonies 13172-2

What ever happened to David Parsons, the man who brought us such memorable recordings like Sounds Of The Mothership, Tibetan Plateau,Yatra, Himalaya and more. Well if you have been following his career you would know that Parsons has been traveling the world for Eckart Rahn of Celestial Harmonies, and documenting the sonic histories of Vietnam, Armenia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and more. How can I get a job like that I hear myself say? I had heard whispers that 'something' was in the pipeline, and was pleasantly surprised to find this at my doorstep a few weeks back. Ngaio Gamelan sees DP exploring a sophisticated blend of east west fusion sound, incorporating samples of various recordings he has done for Celestial Harmonies on those boxed sets, and weaving his own electronically based eastern music around these samples. Having just immersed himself in such rich and diverse musical cultures it is only logical that his own sounds and tastes have been colored by what he has heard in the last few years. DP plays gamelan, Indian percussion and woodwinds and of course keyboards. Sampled instruments include the duduk, sarangi, voice and kamancha. Overall if you are familiar with the DP sound, you'll know what's in store. The ever present 'Indian' experience comes out on this recording like all of his recordings; drones,sarangis, gentle rhythms based on multi ethnic influences. When you hear this release, you'll want to get on a plane and go somewhere. This is of course the magic within music, that ability to make the mind wander. Nothing really new jumps out at you, but it's great to hear him compose again. Like Steve Roach or Brian Eno, David Parsons has his own signature sound, which admittedly some people say has dated, but for this listener always an enjoyable experience.

 

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Celestial Music, March 7, 2001

By 

VIJAY N CHAK (iselin, nj United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ngaio Gamelan (Audio CD)

David Parsons lives upto his expecations. He joins the ranks of othe New Age Wizards like Anugama, Dueter and others. We have to commend him for his skilful handling of the east-east fusion. The perfect use of native instruments has enhanced its ambience and brings out the natural beauty associated with the sounds unique to those instruments e.g the "Sarangi". In "Tjampuhan", every note falls rightly into a another note forming a spiraling continuum. I really got addicted to this particular piece and listen to it every morning. A refreshing music for relaxation especially in the mornings. Though I will exploring some of his other works, I strongly recommend this CD to anyone interested in ambient music.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another David Parsons Aural Masterpiece!, October 18, 1999

By 

Max Johnson "Neo-Whiteheadian Doctoral Student" (Claremont, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ngaio Gamelan (Audio CD)

This album is a fine addition to Parsons' earlier, more atmospheric works. Here he takes classic scales, rhythms and motifs from Indonesian Gamelan-style music and improvises on them using both traditional Indonesian and state of the art electronic instruments. As usual, his sensibilitys to non-western music are dead-on. He manages to capture the essence and spirit of Gamelan in a way few Western "New Age" composers could touch. The result is mystical, ancient, and modern all at once. Transcendent.