old Javanese for “Journey through the Eyes”
Hi my name is Eef van Breen I’m a dutch based composer, musician theatre-maker with Indonesian roots. In January 2025 I started a collaborative program with some of the most renowned gamelan musicians of Yogyakarta. Musicians with various backgrounds, united in the spirit of creating beauty, transcending boundaries, cultures and languages.
It all started with intense lessons by gamelan master Sudaryanto. Javanese Gamelan is so rich; the forms, the instruments, the different playing techniques, the song structures, but most of all the philosophy behind it all. “To learn gamelan is to learn about life” Sudaryanto kept saying.
The Saron, the Penong, Bonag, Gong, Genga, Kendhang, Rebab, Zither, Gambang, Suling… these instruments all have their own specific playing techniques. Sudaryanto plays them all at a very high level. The instruments seem to have grown into his body; he plays them smoothly and with such grace. In his playing, I hear the centuries-old soul of Gamelan.
During the lessons, it becomes clear that we essentially share the same musical concept. I recognize Sudar’s approach to music in the jazz lessons of the teachers I’ve had: Koos van der Sluis, Jarmo Hoogendijk, and Clark Terry. A certain ease and naturalness, yet simultaneously humble and respectful. Loose and anarchic, yet with great virtuosity and knowledge.
This laid the foundation of the next step in our musical journey. We combined our strengths and composed new music. Music based on the tradition of Gamelan, jazz and western classical composition techniques. Using a full gamelan set played by 4 fantastic musicians, a jazz guitarist while I played brass instruments and did the vocals and foley.
For the structure I drew a new story; a musical quest through time and space. Through the eyes of a man looking in the mirror in Holland in the 21st century, traveling to the eyes of a woman in Indonesia looking in the river in the 19th century. It continues from the eyes of the tigers of Sumatra, through burning Vulcano’s of Jawa, burning lovers, devastating wars and magical rituals. Through Gamelan and Jazzmusic combined, a new story is being told in a new way..
We named it: Lelana Lumantar Aksa, old Javanese for “Journey through the eyes”.
One of the Indonesian newspapers described the performance as:
https://www.krjogja.com/seni-budaya/1245598311/lelana-lumantar-aksa-ramu-suara-gamelan-dengan-jazz
“The musical performance was an exploration of experimental music that combined the work of composer Eef van Breen (Netherlands) with the distinctive nuances of the gamelan music group Gayam16 (Yogyakarta) with musicians Sudaryanto, Welly Hendratmoko, Tredybombom and Gombloh, and guitarist Ganggeng Yudana (Solo). “The music presented the results of a journey together with musicians from various backgrounds. The audience was invited to feel a harmony that transcends boundaries, cultures, and languages. Through collaborative work, Eef and Gayam 16 tried to emphasize a fresh musical exploration with the sounds of gamelan, jazz, and foley”
You can find a more detailed description of the whole journey and or the performance through these links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y554eAkp-cg
https://eefvanbreengroup.com/astra-portfolio/lelana-lumantar-aksa/https://eefvanbreengroup.com/de-indonesie-queeste/
Future plans:
LELANA LUMANTAR AKSA
A new album, a new sound
The version of Lelana Lumantar Aksa we created in January 2025 was a prototype, a finger exercise to discover a new musical language. Starting in July 2026, we aim to create a full-length performance with this new sound. In addition to the music, choreography will be created with and by Putri Raharjo, a Javanese dancer and the beating heart of Gayam 16. Gayam 16 is a gamelan community in Yogyakarta, whose goal is to develop and keep gamelan alive through collaborations with various artists.
Lelana Lumantar Aksa; in ancient Javanese it means “Journey through the eyes.” The story was written by Eef van Breen and is inspired by the history of his ancestors. A journey through time and space, from the here and now to 1900. From the Netherlands to Indonesia.
The music will be further developed and the composition completed. The Eef van Breen Group sound, featuring harpist Eva Tebbe, jazz musician Gangeng Yudana, and four Gamelan musicians led by Sudaryanto, will take a new direction. After the premiere of the musical theater performance, featuring Javanese dance, shadowplay, and music, a new album will be recorded featuring the music from the performance.
Following the Eef van Breen Group albums Playing Games, Changing Scenes, Walk of Doubts, and the EP Butterflies Dancing on a Blackbird Song (a release of which will follow), this will be the Group’s fifth album.
In 2027, we aim to bring Lelana to the Netherlands for an album release tour.
I am very grateful to the Marinus Plantema Foundation for their contribution to making all of this possible.