The Beat Magazine is Bali and Jakarta’s free entertainment gig-guide, restaurants, clubs, Music

It was Duke Ellington and his orchestra that originate the original Jungle Sound in the late 20’s and early 30’s and not, as some junglists might contest, UK Apache and Shy FX’s ‘Original Nuttah’. Characterised by call and response techniques and the prodigious use of muting by the horn section, it was to prove a seminal direction in jazz. Not least for a Danish group back in 1980 who named themselves after the style – The New Jungle Orchestra. Mixing elements of jazz and traditional music with an overarching absurdist sensibility, they’re a group that is best experienced live. The Ubud community had precisely this opportunity last Saturday 14 January as the Pura Dalem (usually the site of traditional cremations) hosted a special collaboration between NJO and Bali’s highly gifted Gamelan outfit Semara Ratih. It was a typically theatrical performance, but also a fun way of making the gamelan accessible to the western ear, which sometimes seems to be terminally unfamiliar with its pentatonic scale. The humid night was filled with whisper of gently blown reeds, the squirls of peripatetic trumpets and the intricate thunder of the gamelan, while members of the NJO behaved with trademark unpredictability, falling over, leaping up, running into the audience and occasionally sitting peaceably in their chairs. Junglism, Danish stylee.

The second Friday of 2006 was a doubly ill-omened one: not only was it the 13 day of the month, in the Balinese calendar it also happened to be Kajeng Kliwon, a day on which the buta kala (evil spirits) are abroad and intent on wreaking havoc. It’s a day on which humans must be especially wary lest they fall prey to them. Extra offerings are made on Kajeng Kliwon, mostly to appease the ill-intentioned spirits as oppose to the gods. Capitalising on the ominous atmosphere, Fuel decided to play roulette with the fates, throwing a party to mark the occasion. Punters were greeted by one of the radio buses at the entrance pumping out house music and each was given a potent cup of witches brew. If there were any accidents that evening, though it’s questionable whether it was due to ghostly goings on or just an excess of tequilas…

Hu’u Bar has had a meteoric rise in popularity in the last year. For a while the venue was languishing, empty most nights, but they stuck to their guns and concentrated on giving quality nights to their growing clientele – a multiracial mix of expat, local and more sophisticated visitors to the island. After extending the outdoor area last year, with the new bar and Feng Shui inspired back wall and fountain, the place and in particular, Solid Gold, has rocketed to club night stardom.
We caught up with DJ Jonny, who has been instrumental in this surge of popularity, to see what he thought about it. Jonny has been one of the most prolific DJs in Bali for the past decade playing all the hot spots around town and has seen the rise and fall of many a venue.

Why do you think Hu’u Bar has becoming so popular lately?
The atmosphere, the situation, the location, it’s a nice place. Good management and connections always helps. Rebecca, Din and I have worked together a lot on where Hu’u has been going in the last two years as a nightclub and now, it’s working well. It caters for the 30+ crowd and the music is also perfect for them.

Do you think your Solid Gold on Saturday nights has played a part?
Solid Gold started two years ago. The Hu’u crowd connects with the music because it comes from the seventies and eighties, just like most of them. In the end, it’s all about the music. The people like it and it’s really been the flagship night at Hu’u. For example, there’s been many guest DJs from all over the world and special nights at Hu’u, but the funny thing is that Solid Gold has taken more over the bar and gets more people than any of those other nights.

Do you get tired of playing the same tracks every week?
No. The music does change every week, but I do keep the classics like Doobie Brothers; Long Train Running, Barry White; Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Baby. James Brown; Sex Machine. Solid Gold for me is funky. Not overly commercial, but concentrating on having fun. We don’t want to get too serious, you know? The punters enjoy hearing the old tracks and having their memories. Solid Gold makes them feel young again.

What do the punters get for their money at Hu’u Bar?
They go there for the community. Also the DJ, (he laughs.) The social scene at Hu comprises of all the hoteliers, the expats and a lot of tourists; it’s an up-market scene and lot of people like that. One of the big points of Hu’u is the safety element. Not just terrorism and all that, but you don’t have fights breaking out. I’ve never seen one in the two years I’ve worked there.

Anything New at Hu’u?
Hu’u Society (on Friday nights) will be very good. It’s more DJ music. More House and more contemporary, which is good for me. It started at the beginning of the year and is getting very busy already.

Bali’s one and only underground roots and reggae mash down, Bam Bam once again delivered a ruff ready rock steady musical melange last Thursday 12 January as resident selectas G-Force, Maka and Freddie dusted off their Trojan 7 inches and dropped it inna dancehall stylee. Classics by the likes of Dawn Penn dropped alongside Alpha Blondy and even some afro beat had couples windin’ n grindin’ on the floor till the wee small hours. It’s the island sound, people, get into it…