SAVE THE PLANET

A perfect marriage of a man and a guitar... I am talking about that kind of marriage here, when you know each other already for many years. You know every curve and every possible response on a touch at any place. But still, you want to keep exploring, you find the act of exploration itself inspiring. And it does bring every time such exciting results! If there exists such a bond at all nowadays, it is between Tohpati and his guitar. Listening him playing, I realize, that the art for art sake music, performed a while earlier by such great musicians as John McLaughlin and Robert Fripp, is not dead. And what does it matter, if the man is also aware of the environment? As long as he saves the planet with his guitar playing, I don't mind.

Tohpati is not a new figure on the Indonesian fusion scene. He played together with SimacDialog, another Indonesian fusion band. Listening to SimacDialog's last record "Demi Masa", issued on MoonJune in 2009, I already made a mind note to keep track of this wonderful guitarist. He was actually the best thing on the record. It was a really pleasant surprise for me, to see his own project Tohpati Ethnomission to produce this year such a masterpiece, "Save the Planet". Save us, Tohpati, from the MTV's mediocre R&B and rap, please!

The music is very guitar oriented, yes, but the rest of the band gets their time to showcase their talents. The sundanese flute is very evident on all the songs and gives the compositions, together with the frenetic Indonesian percussions that exotic Asian flavour that makes it so distinguishing. Midi synth guitar, played by Tohpati, smoothen the arrangements up into a really exciting happening. The stile ranges from Fripp-like avant-garde to something, that John McLaughlin, George Benson and John Scofield could produce.

From the first note, the record catches your attention and keeps it in it's hold, to the very last sound. It is all there, beautiful tunes, perfect techniques, imaginative improvisations and fine arrangements.