Bali Agúng
Eberhard Schoener, a pioneering German musician celebrated for his innovative fusion of classical music and electronic instrumentation, including popularising the Moog synthesiser in Europe, embarked on a transformative journey in the 1970s. Known for his collaborations with iconic bands like Tangerine Dream and The Police, Schoener’s musical path led him to the Indonesian island of Bali.
In Bali, Schoener found a profound connection that would shape a significant chapter of his musical life. He discovered a unique musicality distinct from the Western world he knew—a deep-seated, “empirical music” where feeling and intuition were paramount. This philosophy resonated deeply with Schoener, who believed in the courage to embrace music born from the moment’s emotion, a stark contrast to modern music’s tendency to dismiss feeling as “kitsch.” His discovery of Bali was initially thanks to Johannes Schaaf, but it was through Swiss artist Theo Meier that Schoener truly immersed himself, eventually being introduced to a Balinese dancer Anak Agung Raka from Saba, who would become a long-time friend and collaborator.
Agung Raka introduced Schoener to gamelan music, a traditional Indonesian ensemble characterised by instruments predominantly beaten with wooden or horn hammers. Gamelan instruments primarily consist of metallophones with bronze bars, gongs, and drums, with flutes and xylophones sometimes added depending on the style. Historically, every village and aristocrat in Bali possessed their own gamelan. Observing the Agung Raka’s precise and patient approach with his musicians, Schoener learned the crucial lesson of accompanying the musicians rather than dictating to them.
After several visits, Schoener envisioned a groundbreaking collaboration between himself, the gamelan orchestra of the Agung Raka, and former Eric Clapton drummer Pete York. The idea was to create an exciting blend of traditional gamelan sounds, York’s rhythmic prowess, and Schoener’s sensitive electronics. He also planned to film a documentary, Bali Agung – The Other Time, to capture the fascinating interaction between musicians from different cultural and musical backgrounds. This film aimed not only to document the process but also to interpret the music through visuals, elevating the performance to a spiritual plane.
In 1975, Schoener, accompanied by Pete York, two engineers, and a cameraman, traveled to Denpasar, Bali, with his Moog synthesiser and all necessary equipment. Over six weeks at the Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur, this collaboration yielded three albums: Bali-Agúng (1975), Trance-Mission Bali-Symphony (1991), and Harmonia Mundi (1993).
The collaboration’s vibrancy was showcased in a live performance on the German TV show Am Laufenden Band in 1976, coinciding with the release of Bali-Agúng. This performance was a vivid demonstration of cultural exchange, with Balinese masters from Saba, along with Schoener’s German colleagues, seamlessly blending traditional Indonesian instruments like kendhang, kemanak, and gangsa with Western instruments such as guitars, Moog synthesisers, and drum kits. The visual spectacle was further enhanced by the graceful presence of traditional Balinese dancers in the latter half of the performance. A key aspect of Schoener’s approach in Bali-Agúng was his use of electronics as a counterpoint to the Indonesian music, rather than an attempt to imitate it, creating a truly unique sonic tapestry.
The documentary Bali Agung – The Other Time premiered on German TV and was met with critical acclaim. In February 1976, the German newspaper Die Zeit awarded Schoener “the Star of the Week,” praising the LP as “something entirely new: floating sounds and hard rhythms, both contemplative as a very exciting music of a very own kind.