Irama (2012)

In Javanese gamelan music ‘irama’ has the general meaning of time interval between two successive sounds or actions. The term can also be used to refer to temporal relationships between any of the subdividing parts in gamelan performance as well as tempo in general. This piece explores notions of pulse and microrhythmic developments using as timbral framework a set of recordings of a Javanese gamelan orchestra done at the University of York in England. The work is inspired on various temporal and timbral relationships between subdividing parts of gamelan music and structured as an aural journey through a rich palette of timbres that contribute to the unique overall sound quality of the gamelan.

Awards: Musicaacoustica, QWARTZ Radio France Prize and 2012 Computer Space.

listen to an excerpt of this piece