2 Worlds

To common people, it is incomprehensible. To the devotees, it is Krakatau. For them, playing jazz is not just a matter of harmonizing keys and melodies. Playing jazz also means speaking unanimous language. A dialogue attempt in order to communicate each other’s point of view, express various feelings while stimulate specific message. To put it simple, foreign language might possibly become incomprehensible to us stemming from unfamiliarity or simply being unknown. It is not uncommon to have such a perception that language gap creates boundaries among discrete population. In short, Krakatau use that language, and people who are interested in them listen to it, learn it. Henceforth, it takes an ample effort to know how exactly they translate a set of composition as a means to connecting the thoughts, which certainly will be rewarding in a way or another. 

Taken from the title, the band, consisting of entirely local brilliant jazz talents, invites a number of foreign musicians to meet and greet, in the mean time, finds a way to link one another’s ideas. As a result, a massive unity between east, powered by ethnic percussion and melodic instruments, and west with the so called essential jazz instruments, clearly visible in the live recorded Double Band. Looking at the lineups, there is of Levy’s Groove as a starter, a strong bass line exposures with ascending rhythmic intensity in the end. Actis Baritone Funk provides a crowded blend of frantic bass beat, keyboard and clarinet improvisation as well as layers of sound ornaments. A creative experimentation underlying brief yet rich tone line into short syllables is crystal clear in Bunga Tembaga. Here it is the hard line Swing in S’lendro which I could not forgive myself for unable to figuring out the swing rhythm. I just leave it though. I knew it was somewhere there. Although in the broader sense, this album has a dominant ambience of Indonesian diverse cultures, westerners’ attitude proves well that they can adapt with Indonesian platform. Pine Crescent Jamz gives a glimpse on several electric guitar compositions, tending to draw a brief rock sense. A kind of rag time piano style emerges briefly in Madenda Fantasy, alongside the regular traditional flute tone 

The eponymous song title breaks the ground in awe with spectacular marriage between alto saxophone and Indonesian traditional trumpet. Perahu contains a profound exploration of restless vocal dependence. In conclusion, 2 worlds endorses an interchanging relations of the lineups within the two extremes, if I may say, either some of them are rigorously structured to rushing beat, best represented by Levy’s Groove, or confining some others to a standstill, best seen in Perahu. And also it is significant in that Krakatau remains stunning by maintaining fusion jazz on its track.