The Gamelatron performs at the Chelsea Art Museum July 2008

The Gamelatron, the world first and only fully robotic Gamelan Orchestra by The League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots and Zemi17 performs at the Chelsea Art Museum July 2008

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Gamelatron
• Robot Gamelan
• Gamelan
• Zemi17
• LEMUR
• Taylor Kuffner
• Aaron Kuffner
• Experimental music
• Chelsea Art Museum

[TheCivilian12]

If you love and respect gamelan, please don't rape our eastern honour wiht that western contemporary obsession. As Indonesian art student, I'm sad and concerned to see this. This Intercultural euphoria, cross-cullture symptom, post modern tendency bring us no enlightment. That Bali-ish soudalike composition might be sounds beautiful to you western ear but it sounds terrible in our heart.

[gamelatron]

They may not share your intention or style but that does not mean that we are raping your eastern honor.

There is no world jury that decides what is beauty – and not all music (including Gamelan music) is made to be beautiful. What one considers beauty is a human construct that truly is in the eye (and ear) of the beholder.

Be well,

Team Gamelatron

[gamelatron]

Whatever reasons you have for playing and experiencing Gamelan music they are your own. The Gamelatron is a human created machine made to ring the sounds of specially tuned bronze instruments. It is just a medium and an instrument. Nothing more and nothing less. People with a vast degree of different intentions and style "mengamel" (strike) Sarons and Genders and kendhang everyday all over the world.

[gamelatron]

Whatever reasons you have for playing and experiencing Gamelan music they are your own. The Gamelatron is a human created machine made to ring the sounds of specially tuned bronze instruments. It is just a medium and an instrument. Nothing more and nothing less. People with a vast degree of different intentions and style "mengamel" (strike) Sarons and Genders and kendhang everyday all over the world.

[gamelatron]

Thanks for your comments, they are appreciated.

There is no intention to rape, disrespect or not honor any tradition east or west by the Gamelatron. We understand that it is a unique and potentially controversial instrument that will spark different emotions and opinions in different people based on their individual person and cultural acclimations.

[KnowManMusic]

How can a Gamelatron threaten you? Only by you fearing the loss of something close to your identity. What can the Gamelatron take from you? Only what you are willing to give. This thing is all love.....nothing more, nothing less. Opinion and emotional disparage are the creations from self. Tradition sometimes empowers itself to remain in power. Nothing is lost or gained by the creation of the Gamelatron. Only a self created fear of loss and gain by identifying strictly with tradition.

[gamelatron]

In response to Civillian12 post:

"I don't mind about the invention, but gamelan is trully all about emotion, human feeling. I've been learning this music in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for about 4 years. And it's not easy. Gamelan is not just a media. And I think natural emotion is the main aesthetic aspect in gamelan. There's no way to deny that aestehetic values if you respect this traditional art. Music and culture are one package for the sake of art in life context."

[gamelatron]

I definately agree with you that some Gamelan music is about emotion and human feeling. We also studied Gamelan music in Yogya for a few years not that long ago. The Gamelatron is designed as an instrument and a medium to channel many of these emotions and experiences - in many ways it is not that different from the mallets you use to play. A mallet in different hands produces different music on different days. This is not the only music the Gamelatron makes

[TheCivilian12]

I don't mind about the invention, but gamelan is trully all about emotion, human feeling. I've been learning this music in Yogyakarta, Indonesia for about 4 years. And it's not easy. Gamelan is not just a media. And I think natural emotion is the main aesthetic aspect in gamelan. There's no way to deny that aestehetic values if you respect this traditional art. Music and culture are one package for the sake of art in life context.

[trainguy111]

Oh, I see. Any chance that the instruments can be made to have a chromatic scale?