Will Guthrie & Ensemble Nist-Nah

The ceremonial gamelan culture from Bali & Java, reinvented as a contemporary percussion ritual Ensemble Nist-Nah is a hybrid percussion ensemble that uses gongs, singing bowls, xylophones, bells, cymbals, drums, and other instruments from the Javanese and Balinese gamelan tradition to play original music, inspired by diverse Southeast Asian music, but also by everything from free jazz to contemporary hip-hop. The gamelan, originating from Indonesia, has been part of the culture of Java and Bali for more than a millennium. As early as the 8th century, the instrument and the associated practice were depicted on sculptures and relief panels in the Borobudur temple, the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world. That tradition is passed down from generation to generation to this day and sounds at ceremonies, rituals, theatrical performances, festivals, and concerts. The ensemble was founded in 2019 by Will Guthrie, a great admirer of gamelan music. Rooted in his study stays in Indonesia, Guthrie and his ensemble bring pieces that are indebted to diverse traditional music from Southeast Asia - from the majestic Indonesische Sekaten ceremony to the dizzying repetition in the Jathilan ritual and the music of the Balinese composer Dewa Alit. Yet what the ensemble makes is anything but traditional music. The influences are rich and varied: from Roscoe Mitchells percussion works and Henry Threadgills polyphonic improvisation music to the cross-cultural adventures of Trevor Watts, Michael Ranta and Mike Cooper.