Imbal-imbalan

Imbal-imbalan is one Javanese term for interlocking parts, a technique in which a melody is created by the alternation between two or more instruments. Here those parts are polyrhythmic on many levels, creating a texture that does not really resemble traditional Javanese music (though sometimes such complex patterns are used in the neighboring island of Bali). In fact, beyond the instruments and scales, there is little to connect this piece to Javanese music, beyond a more ineffable inspiration that the pattern-based music of the region has given to me.

Recorded on Imbal-imbalan .