Gamelan Br. Teges Kanginan

This 2CD set is a compilation of original field recordings made by David Attenborough between 1954 and 1963. He travelled to remote parts of the world to find and film exotic animals for the BBC television series Zoo Quest. But he was just as interested in the people he met and their music. Whenever he came across musicians, out came his early portable tape machine . "While I was theoretically looking for pythons, in the evenings I would record different types of music."

Nonesuch Records releases an album from longtime friends and collaborators Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) and Nico Muhly, Peter Pears: Balinese Ceremonial Music. Peter Pears comprises nine songs written by the duo plus three gamelan transcriptions by ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee that inspired the songs. Bartlett and Muhly perform the Peter Pears music on May 24 at New York City’s (Le) Poisson Rouge (LPR) as part of its tenth anniversary festival, June 6 at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, and June 8 at LSO St Luke’s in London presented by the Barbican.

New World
Nearly 35 years separate this work from the large-scale Piano Concerto completed in 1985. Harrison's fascination with exotic musical sounds and designs led him to the actual building of Oriental instruments, including two complete gamelans. This activity, in turn, led him to a consideration of the manner in which instruments are tuned, and of systems of intonation in use throughout the world in the past and present.

From the twisted world of pop, rock, classical and world music, to acts of revolution and riots in the streets violinist, composer, conceptualist, raconteur and world traveller Eyvind Kang takes us on an exciting new trip to Iceland. An avid fan of underground esoterica and a generous collaborator with the likes of Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Arto Lindsay, Ikue Mori and many others, Kang is at his best in the studio, creating incredibly complex sound sculptures filled with meticulous detail, power and vision. His most recent CD, three years in the making features a rare appearance of Indian violinist Kala Ramnath, a bizarre cult anthem (10:10) and a beautiful piece scored for gamelan.