Mepalu Sari (Essence of a Collision) is a collection of original compositions for gamelan instruments presented alongside electronic music inspired by them that resulted from a partnership with Burnaby North Secondary School and Vancouver's Western Front (front.bc.ca).

The partnership began in 2019 when Balinese students were invited to write and record music specifically for the purpose of being electronically reinterpreted by students in Canada. In Bali, students were organized into groups led by an Insitu Recordings team member who provided guidance throughout the composition process. Several months later the groups convened at Antida Studio to record the fruits of their labor: 15 intricate compositions, some approaching 10 minutes. This was the first time many of the students had been in a professional recording studio, and the opportunity for professional documentation inspired creativity far exceeding our expectations and instructions. The impressive sonic tapestry captured during that session was then sent to Canada to be mixed, remixed, sampled, or otherwise reinterpreted.

Concurrently with the composition and recording process that unfolded in Bali, Canadian students were introduced to the sounds of gamelan and electronic music production. Insitu Recordings’ cofounders Jonathan Adams and I Putu Gede Sukaryana provided a hands-on introduction to gamelan performance coupled with a discussion of the historical and cultural context for new music in Bali, while Vancouver-based composers Brian Topp, Yu Su, and Kiran Bhumber taught students how to create electronic music using Ableton Live. Armed with 40+ minutes of new gamelan music, some knowledge and experience with the instruments upon which it had been played, and drawing from their newly acquired production skills, the students were then invited to create electronically manipulated reinterpretations of the compositions sent by their Balinese peers.

Both the original compositions and reinterpretations were scheduled to be premiered in 8-channel surround sound at a special event in early June 2020 that had to be cancelled due to COVID-19. In its place a full-length album was conceived that would include the original compositions alongside works inspired by them. Several established North American electronic musicians were also invited to contribute to it. The result is a collection of music born from an attempt to bridge sonic practices while simultaneously creating educational opportunities that encourage meaningful collaboration.