If you can imagine a hybrid of Canterbury jazz-rock fusion, Sundanese drumming, and static gamelan rhythms from Indonesia, you still might not be able to conceive the group sound of
simakDialog until you actually hear them. While all of these elements are present and accounted for, there's a symmetry, balance, and near telepathic element in their collective playing that cannot be described. Electric guitar and Fender Rhodes piano with wonderful hand percussion and no trap drumming cement the general sound of the group, while an imaginative sense of wild abandon in combination might come close to identifying the persona of this fascinating five-piece ensemble. This recording, their fifth, is comprised of three epic suites and two stand-alone compositions, all with extended development in the way the music unfolds or merges into solos. Extreme rhythms from the kendang-style hand percussionists in eighth-note excursions identify "Salilana Pertama" (Forever, Pt. 1) and "Salilana Kedua" (Forever, Pt. 2) as the hyperbolic electric guitar of Tohpati Ario Hutomo and keyboardist
Riza Arshad coil like snakes in a basket, then calm with vocal chanting in one-note, low-key moods plus a modicum of swirling electronics over some 20 minutes. There's an unmistakable road song feel during "Tak Jauh Pertama" (Not So Far, Pt. 1), slowed to a stop, then continued, softened by Hutomo and
Arshad, sped up by the drums and tambourine, and then entering the mysterious territory of a more peaceful late night. Where "Trah Lor -- Laras" (Northern People -- Voices), "Trah Lor -- Rupa" (Northern People -- Faces), and "Trah Lor -- Tapak" (Northern People -- Prints) evoke a semi-traditional dance feeling at the outset, spontaneous quirky steps prevail, and the traditional metallophone gamelan sound echoes from electronic keyboards into eerie space and active handclaps. Dave Lumenta adds soundscapes during "Karuhun" (To Elders) as darker elements on acoustic piano and guitar contrast the deliberate electric bass guitar of Adhitya Pratama in distinct jazz-rock tones. The shape shifting at will and rhythmic aspects of "Disapih" (Separate Away) take you to a distant time and place while still consciously being in this mortal coil.
Arshad is simply a wizard with his various keyboard sounds, while Hutomo definitely has heard his share of
Gary Boyle,
Phil Miller,
Terje Rypdal, and
Allan Holdsworth. This is elusive, challenging music, constantly changing and evolving, a totally commanding and fascinating ethnic fusion that requires you to listen closely, turn the volume up a few notches, and let the music envelop you. SimakDialog's home base is Jakarta, Indonesia, but their spirit and soul live in all corners of our Earth. ~ Michael G. Nastos