Krakatau is a gamelan-influenced jazz band from Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. The group was formed in 1985 and is unique in that their instruments are all specially tuned to slendro, a pentatonic scale used in Indonesian traditional music. They combine Western and Indonesian instruments, and even integrate rap into their music.
"Despite the distinctive frequency of particular tone [tuning] that could sound peculiar to Western ears, the treasure of rhythmic expression is valuable language to communicate to global audiences. Further more, Krakatau is continuously adapting Western diatonic elements [melodies] into its basic S’lendro tonal system."[1]
They have performed in Indonesia, Japan, China, and Malaysia, and released eight commercial recordings.
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