RESTLESS and
BANDUNG NIGHTS
Sounds From Java, Reimagined in Athens, GA
In the late 2000s, Kai Riedl (Kaibo) and Suny Lyons made multiple trips to the island of Java to record the music they had loved for years. They captured everything from children’s songs and solo string players to full 30-member gamelan orchestras, recording wherever the music led them—from dimly lit nightclubs in bustling cities to bamboo huts far, far off the grid. Their love of soundwaves and a little luck had them recording full songs, live performances, and musical fragments with musicians of every kind, from some of Indonesia’s most beloved stars to virtually unknown street musicians.
Back in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, the duo created the 12 volume Javasounds Indonesian Music series, while also working with loops and stems they recorded with musicians across Java to inspire new songs and collaborations. Riedl began transforming the recordings into loops, rhythms, and textures, building new compositions around them with collaborators from Athens’ renowned music scene. What emerged were two records, one rooted in songs, melody, and collaboration, and another exploring electronics, texture, rhythm, and abstraction. Both recorded nearly 15 years ago, but never released.
Together, the two albums form an unlikely musical conversation between Athens and Java—a conversation that began with recordings made thousands of miles away and continued to evolve.
