TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Gerald Situmorang, Sri Hanuraga play with illusions in 'Meta'

Crafty crafters: Gerald Situmorang (right) and Sri Hanuraga (left) create the illusion of improvisation and freedom on their tightly produced record Meta

Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, February 15, 2019

Share This Article

Change Size

Gerald Situmorang, Sri Hanuraga play with illusions in 'Meta'

C

rafty crafters: Gerald Situmorang (right) and Sri Hanuraga (left) create the illusion of improvisation and freedom on their tightly produced record Meta.

Teaming up with pianist Sri Hanuraga, Barasuara guitarist Gerald Situmorang creates a captivating illusion of jazz improvisations in new album Meta.

Showcasing the peak of their skills, guitarist Gerald Situmorang and pianist Sri Hanuraga meld their intricate styles and appreciation to bring to life Meta, a collaborative album that plays on the concept of freedom.

Gerald prides himself on his trademark meticulously crafted music, each note highly tampered with and tweaked until it becomes a tight and tidy composition to behold. His mathematical plinking has graced his solo guitar records and enlivened his band Barasuara’s music, where he shares his technical prowess on his signature red bass with fellow technical appreciator and bandleader Iga Massardi.

Even with collaborative pieces as the one that he undertook with renowned pianist Sri “Aga” Hanuraga recently at the Salihara Jazz Buzz Festival, he chose to forgo the jazzy spirit of improvisation and instead worked with Aga to craft music the way he knows best.

At the festival, the two held their set over the weekend to celebrate the release of Meta. The album presents itself as an experimental jazz album, but one that seems less loose but still true to its sound.

While many jazz duos tend to let loose with their material and play in order to capture the spontaneity of performance, Gerald and Aga strive for the opposite with Meta.

Spontaneity is not the key here; it is the illusion of spontaneity.

Sophisticated tunes: Sri "Aga" Hanuraga is an experimental pianist trained under the Conservatorium of Amsterdam.
Sophisticated tunes: Sri "Aga" Hanuraga is an experimental pianist trained under the Conservatorium of Amsterdam.

During the concert and for much of the album, Aga utilized prepared pianos: pieces of masking tape, duct tape or clear tape were stuck onto the piano mallets inside the body to create different but unique sounds. Because the collaboration focused greatly on the use of overdubs, Raga also ran a working digital audio workstation to help enhance the sounds and add to the songs even more.

Songs that Aga composed on the album, including “Hyperreality” and “Thrown Words”, appear to sound more modern and dissonant compared to Gerald’s compositions.

Such compositions, such as “God of Dragons”, still abided by a traditional guitar-dominated structure throughout the song, making Aga’s piano serve only as accompaniment. Other Gerald songs such as “Opening a New Door” ooze that soft jazz feel with more synchronized roles between both musicians.

Gerald, on the other hand, stuck to his usual tools of acoustic and electric guitars, Pat Metheny style. Despite the music sounding improvised and free, every movement and note is planned tightly by Gerald or by Aga, creating the illusion of freedom behind careful control.

“Naturally, we’re not improvisers in this concept. Everything has to be neat and tidy in every song,” Gerald commented.

“Because for me, that method simply works best: having control over the soundscape, form and rhythm. And that idea is expanded with the inclusion of the effects that Aga’s prepared piano brings.”

Personal endeavor: Gerald Situmorang sees Meta as a personal pet project outside of his main work in Barasuara.
Personal endeavor: Gerald Situmorang sees Meta as a personal pet project outside of his main work in Barasuara.

It was during a spontaneous live session that Aga and Gerald met while playing at the now-defunct Red N White Jazz Club in Kemang, South Jakarta back in 2014. Both men would usually play together at the club, slowly melding their sounds and styles and mannerisms together. One of the songs off of Meta, “Something New”, has been around since this younger time.

“When I heard that song, I knew that we could musically connect. I learned a lot from him in terms of how he writes music and how I could reinterpret his songs on the spot. It was liberating,” Gerald explained.

But the pair only started to rehearse for the Meta sessions in December 2017, mainly because of both men’s packed schedules: Aga had his time with the Sri Hanuraga Trio while Gerald went on Barasuara’s extensive tours following the release of the band’s debut album Taifun in 2015.

“Setting up was rather tricky initially because the fact was that the guitar and piano are two instruments that can play harmonies. So one must know what the other is doing at all times to keep up together and not clash.”

Harmonic or rhythmic clashes were at a minimum throughout their live performance, save for the occasional microscopic slip-ups that happen on stage, which is actually able to add to the music.

The Salihara Jazz Buzz Festival this year featured several other performers on its bill including Sengat band, the Iwan Hasan Progressive Jazz Ensemble, Tohpati Bertiga, Rafi Muhammad, Nikita Dompas and American experimental guitarist Eyal Maoz. The festival runs until Sunday. 

Jazzing up: Guitarist Gerald Situmorang and pianist Sri Hanuraga showcase their jazz collaborations in the 10 tracks of the Meta album. (Courtesy of GeSitLincah Records)
Jazzing up: Guitarist Gerald Situmorang and pianist Sri Hanuraga showcase their jazz collaborations in the 10 tracks of the Meta album. (Courtesy of GeSitLincah Records)

— Photos by JP/Iqbal Yuwansyah     

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.