FORMED IN 2018 FOR THE RECORDING OF ONE TRACK ON WASSIM HALAL’S PHARAONIC ALBUM LE CRI DU CYCLOPE, POLYPHÈME BRINGS TOGETHER SEVEN MEMBERS OF GAMELAN PUSPAWARNA AND PERCUSSIONIST WASSIM HALAL.

FROM THIS FERTILE ENCOUNTER WAS BORN A REPERTOIRE OF ORIGINAL CREATIONS AROUND RHYTHM AND TIME, IN THE FORM OF A SINGULAR AND DARING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE DARBUKA AND THE BALINESE GAMELAN. A SERIES OF OFF-TRACK COMPOSITIONS AND IMPROVISATIONS, SPRINKLED WITH HAUNTING LEITMOTIFS THAT INVITE THE LISTENER INTO A MAGNETISING WHIRLWIND OF SOUND.

GAMELAN PUSPAWARNA

Gamelan Puspawarna is an ensemble of musicians based in Nanterre (France) and specialised in Balinese gamelan music. Created in 2011 by Hsiao-Yun Tseng, Jérémie Abt, and Théo Mérigeau, the group has since developed its repertoire with musicians such as I Made Agus Wardana, I Nyoman Kader Kariasa, and Anak Agung Bagus Gedé Krishna Putra Sutedja.

Gamelan Puspawarna has developed a close collaboration with dancer Kadek Puspasari and actors Tapa Sudana, Mas Soegeng, and Ketut Sariana, resulting in numerous performances combining dance, music, and theatre (Panji Kuda Narawangsa - 2017, Calonarang - 2019). Since 2017 Puspawarna has been collaborating regularly with Balinese composer A.A.B.G Krishna Sutedja and has premiered several of his pieces written especially for the ensemble (Roi Soleil - 2018, Narasimha - 2019, Legong Tapak Dara - 2021).

WASSIM HALAL DARBUKA & other sonic peregrinations

During multiple trips to Lebanon, Wassim was trained in the wedding repertoire (Dabkeh). His encounters have then led him to open up to new soundscapes, including Turkish gypsy music. Interested in improvised music, he has developed on the Darbuka and the Doholla a style of playing infused with multiple influences, working on the rhythmic universe as well as on the sounds of his instruments.

Throughout his career, his atypical approach has enabled him to meet artists from many different backgrounds. He collaborates with Laurent Clouet and Florian Demonsant with whom he founded the trio Bey.Ler.Bey, collaborates with illustrators and performers Benjamin Efrati & Diego Verastegui, founded the Çok Malko Collective with David Brossier, formed the Polyphème project with Gamelan Puspawarna, and played in H with Grégory Dargent, Anil Eraslan and Mathieu Pelletier, in Revolutionary Birds with Erwan Keravec and Mounir Troudi, among other projects.