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HASTA KARMA

Dewa Budjana

Jazz Rock/Fusion


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Dewa Budjana Hasta Karma album cover
4.07 | 58 ratings | 3 reviews | 31% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2015

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Saniscara (8:01)
2. Desember (7:32)
3. Jayaprana (8:32)
4. Ruang Dialisis (11:43)
5. Just Kidung (6:45)
6. Campuhan Hill (10:01)

Total Time 52:34

Line-up / Musicians

- Dewa Budjana / electric & acoustic guitars, soundscapes, arranger & producer

With:
- Ben Williams / upright bass
- Antonio Sanchez / drums
- Joe Locke / vibraphone
- Indra Lesmana / electric piano (4), piano (5,6), melodica (6)
- Jro Ktut Sidemen / vocals (4)

Releases information

Artwork: Aga Dilaga

LP Moonjune Records - MJR070LP (2015, US)

CD Demajors - DIMI 409 (2015,Indonesia)
CD Moonjune Records - MJR070 (2015, US)

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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DEWA BUDJANA Hasta Karma ratings distribution


4.07
(58 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(31%)
31%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(29%)
29%
Good, but non-essential (33%)
33%
Collectors/fans only (3%)
3%
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
3%

DEWA BUDJANA Hasta Karma reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by memowakeman
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This is the most recent album from Indonesian guitar icon Dewa Budjana, who has been in this musical scene for long time, creating high quality music with a clear tendency to jazz fusion. Once again under the Moonjune Records label, he released his new child entitled "Hasta Karma" which features six compositions that make a total time of 55 minutes. Here, Budjana chose some top-notch musicians that are featured in the album, so it is a guarantee of bliss to listen to this man with the company of Joe Locke, Ben Williams and the amazing Mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez.

It starts with "Saniscara", and I have to admit, the first thing that caught my attention was the drumming, I am fan of Sanchez, and am happy to see him collaborating with amazing musicians such as Budjana. The music is clearly in the progressive-jazz-fusion vein, guitars are soft and friendly, the bass is delicious, and the addition of vibraphone simply outstanding. The composition is pretty clean, it perfectly flows so one have only to enjoy what is listening to. Another point I love, is that each musician has its moment, so all are equally important.

"Desember" brings a slower track. The first couple of minutes are full of peace, but then they make a pretty interesting change, the mood becomes darker and a bit heavier, and then, Budjana gives an excellent guitar solo while the other guys produce a very cool variety of sounds as background. To be honest, there are moments where the name of Pat Metheny's bands comes to my mind, however, Budjana here adds more power to his solo, which is great. Then, it slows down again, vibes take leadership for a while, and the song flows once again.

"Jayaprana" has that inherent fusion tune and mood, so since the very first seconds it is normal to move the head, enjoy the rhythm while listening to this juicy track. Though this song passes the 8-minute mark, it is so great and friendly that all of a sudden, without noticing, it has already finished. The next one might be the magnum opus of this album. "Ruang Dialisis", a 12-minute epic that as I've read, was dedicated to Budjana's father. This track has a melancholic sound, a slow tempo mood that brings a kind of sad but hopeful atmosphere, it is like remembering good old times, like being in introspection. After four minutes, the music makes a change, and a traditional Indonesian chant appears, it was pre-recorded by his grandma, so this song has a truly personal flavor, that I assume means a lot to the guitar master. The vibes as usual are great, adding that Asian spices. Another change comes after minute 7, a chaotic passage where all seem to become a bit crazy, to lose control, so the atmosphere is a bit tense. Once again I would like to mention the musicians, each and every one of them, make a wonderful job.

The next song is "Just Kidung", and here the first thing I perceived was the piano, which is a new feature in the album, played by Indra Lesmana. The rhythm is just more into jazz fusion ala Metheny, some moments could be linked with the first couple of tracks. I enjoy it, it is sweet. After three minutes the music slows down, they are preparing something new. And it is Ben Williams who delight us with a bass solo for over a minute, and then, we have the luck of listening to a piano solo, so this combo gives nothing but smiles and satisfaction. In this moment, the name of Hiromi came to my mind.

Last but not least is "Payogan Rain", which is a relaxing, chill out track that can be enjoyed for anyone who looks for a peaceful moment. Here the new element is a melodica, played again by Lesmana. The bass sound is sensual, and the soft drums create a pretty sweet sound. Though this is a good track, I must say that to my ears, it is the weakest track of the album, and not my favorite one to finish what would have been a perfect fusion offering.

Dewa Budjana strikes again, he is a majestic composer and player, so a new album from him has to be received with arms and ears wide open. Please give it a listen, buy it and of course, enjoy it!

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Indonesian guitarist and composer Dewa BUDJANA is a veteran artist, who has been active as a musician for just about three decades at this point. Besides being active in different bands, he's also a fairly productive solo artist, and the last few years have seen him release a new solo album on a yearly basis. "Hasta Karma" is his eighth solo album, released in 2015 by the US label Moonjune Records.

"Hasta Karma" comes across as a well developed production where a lot of thought and many emotions have been invested into the material, with top-notch musicianship seeing to it that the subtle nuances that appear to be a key feature of Dewa Budjana's compositions are all explored expertly. Instrumental jazz rock with an emphasis on jazz is the style of choice, smooth and easy on the ears on a superficial level, but with added depths and streaks of darkness to be revealed for the careful listener immersing themselves in the material. A polished, well made album all in all, and one easily recommended to those with an affection for instrumental jazz rock.

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
5 stars One of the real joys of following the Moonjune career of Indonesian guitarist Dewa Budjana, is that one is never sure quite what to expect with each release, as he often changes the musicians he is playing with which has a direct impact on each album. This time he has brought in NYC vibraphonist, Joe Locke, and Pat Metheny Unity Group's bassist, Ben Williams, with drummer, Antonio Sanchez, and Indonesian keyboardist, Indra Lesmana. There are so many wonders and delights contained within this 2014 album that it is hard to know where to begin. In many ways Dewa has taken something of a back seat with this release, and it has a much stronger band feel than the others, as he shares the melody lead with Joe. I used to regularly see Poli Palmer (ex Family) play with Steve Waller (Manfred Mann's Earth Band) and his touch on vibraphones was great, but he never sounded anything like this! Gentle touches, or blistering speed, Joe can do it all and consequently is incredibly relaxed as there is nothing left for him to prove. This has allowed Dewa also to relax and just go with the flow, not always having to be the centre of attention. With Ben and Antonio playing their part to perfection, the result is a fusion album that is mind-blowing in just so many ways.

From the cover artwork of the digipak, through the sleeve notes of John Kelman, and then into the fifty-two minutes of the album itself, this is the complete package. If I had to pick one track to showcase the beauty of this majestic album, then it would have to be "Desember" where Dewa provides some stunningly quick runs, and then leaves the song for bars at a time to allow the rest of the guys to build new rhythms and melodies, returning when the moment is right. When it comes to modern instrumental jazz fusion then it simply doesn't get any better than this. Faultless.

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