Bali: Golden Rain
The gradual reissue of the completeNonesuch Explorer Serieson CD continues with 13 albums of field recordings from the South Pacific and Indonesia. Producer David Lewiston's follow-up to his legendaryMusic from the Morning of the Worldopens with two chiming, irresistible gamelan tracks, which sound like a cross between a carillon struck by raindrops and half-time in heaven. But the final piece, "Kecak," is a mesmerizing 22-minute chant based upon the Ramayana, a 2,000-year-old epic. It is performed by  100 or more men, who squat in a circle facing one another. The tale of Rama and Sita's rescue by a friendly horde of monkeys is told via propulsive, interwoven shouts, cries, and exhortations. The work also serves as an exorcism, since demons move only in a straight line and are confused by jagged rhythms. A late-night FM radio favorite during the '60s, this piece is still an astonishing experience.--Christina Roden