During the 1990’s Clarke concentrated on studying, playing and composing for the Javanese Gamelan working with several performing ensembles as composer, conductor and performer. He has also taught composition for the gamelan in classes at the South Bank Centre’s Education Programme in London and at Kingston University.

He has composed many innovative and successful pieces for these unique instruments attracting wide critical acclaim, for example, two compositions using both the traditional Javanese scales (slendro and pelog) simultaneously; a song cycle (The Dissolving Tree) and a chamber piece (The Magic Mirror) for bonangs (‘gong chimes’) and gambangs (‘marimbas’).

He has composed a ballet for the Colourscape Festival combining ‘western’ flute and electro-acoustic sounds with the gamelan and also made successful arrangements for gamelan of two classic American compositions -
The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives and Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams. (The latter has been performed and broadcast in versions for both Javanese and Balinese gamelan in concerts with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra).