Guruh Gipsy Reviews

From: "Surjorimba Suroto" <>
What I wanted for a really very long time was Guruh Gipsy's s/t album. Released only on cassette format in 1975 was a masterpiece in Indonesia's progressive rock history. This band blended 70s progressive rock (ala ELP and early Genesis) with Balinese, Javanese traditional music (gamelan, etc). The highlights were Indonesia Maharddhika and Chopin Larung. The rest were traditional and pop exploration with new instruments and studio technology. I believe Guruh Soekarno Putra (the conceptor) definitely agree, remembering his idealism, commitment and totality in music and art. Moreover the members still exist, although busy in their solo career.

From: Gamantyo Hendrantoro <> Subject: Guruh Gipsy reissue
I was relying on the other Indonesians on this list to forward this good news, but since I haven't seen anything yet... Guruh Gipsy's self-titled album will be reissued soon on CD. Guruh Gipsy was an Indonesian prog band from the 70's whose music, like Discus's, took much influences from Balinese gamelan. The main difference is that while Discus's music is more eclectic, Guruh Gipsy's sticks closer to symphonic rock. The album was a result of their collaboration with the choir and ensemble of Jakarta Symphony Orchestra, and a Balinese gamelan ensemble. _Guruh Gipsy_ was originally released in 1975. Musica Studio is responsible for the current remaster and reissue project. The master tape has reportedly been safely stored by the band's creative leader, Guruh Soekarnoputra.

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