By LAWRENCE VAN GELDER

From instruments like metallophones and bronze gongs, drums made from shark bellies and stingrays, the bamboo flute called the suling and the jaw harp called a genggong comes music that mimics frog calls and accompanies Indonesian shadow plays, Tahitian love songs and chants of war. From 1967 to '84, music from remote areas of the world was issued on vinyl in the Nonesuch Explorer series. Last year with the release of 13 volumes of African music Nonesuch Records began issuing the entire series of 92 recordings on compact disk. Today brings the release of the first of 12 titles through March from Indonesia and the South Pacific as well as a CD sampler of highlights from the dozen releases.