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>From: Mike Biffle [SMTP:Mike.Biffle@wj.com]
>Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 1998 10:41 AM
>>Subject: Re: ProjeKct 2 @ Palookaville, Santa Cruz, CA...
>>Author: "Matt McCabe" <mattm@bi-tech.com> at INTERNET
>>Date: 3/24/98 10:07 AM
>
>
>Miko wrote: ProjecKt 2 w/Fripp, Belew and Gunn was pretty awesome friday
>night!
>
>>Well...looks like I missed meeting Miko and Laurie at P2 concert in SC.
>>Alas! A belated howdy to you!!!
>
> Sorry we missed you!
Ditto that. We coulduv thrown our collective looper's weight around down
in
the gearhead pits, huh? :-)
>>Although it was gratifying hearing the much loved Fripp fuzz tone, I left
>>wondering how they could do this gig night after night. With 3 extremely
>>talented and gifted musicians on stage I excepted more than just hallow
>>wanking. I kept waiting for the next level.
>
>>Perhaps I'm too much of an idealist.
>
>>People on ET have been raving about "the new vocabulary" P2 is exploring.
>.I heard nothing new. I heard drum sounds straight from ToaPP (Three of a
>>Perfect Pair's "Industry"), soundscaping from Fripp's many recent solo
>>discs, and Gunn's noodling ala his solo discs....
The age-old "artiste" question comes to mind, and it's one of the toughest
we
have to ask ourselves: when are we exploring and perfecting subtleties and
refinements in our approach to our craft, as opposed to rehashing the same
old
stuff without getting anywhere? -- The old "go with what you know/what is
easy/what is safe/what sells" trap? Who is qualified to judge this?
Sometimes
the best kick in the butt comes from outside of ourselves - our listeners,
fellow players, magazine crits, etc. Or, they just might not have a clue
as to
where we are headed. There are no easy, or "correct" answers. But we've
gotta
constantly ask the question.
Matt, you've put in a heck of a lot more time listening to these guys than
I
have, and therefore your expectations are more substantially based. This
is a
good thing! It helps me to reevaluate what I'm hearing.
> Well, maybe it's not exactly a NEW vocabulary, but It's a chance
>to
LOOK
> for the new, while having a little fun. This tour offered these
>three
> persons the opportunity to improvise *together*. Sometimes magic
> happens, sometimes dreck. But the opportunity* doesn't often
>present
> itself.
>
> Having the option to go back to the drawing board and spend a
>year
> writing and recording a release, then touring to support it...
>Locked
> into a fairly scripted progession of songs (possibly with great
moments
> of chance and risk)
>
> OR
>
> Taking a spring break and cruising out on a month long tour
>*Jamming
> with a couple friends to recharge and make "any noise you felt
>like"
> playing on a given night... I think I'd like the opportunity to
>get
out
> there and wank a little. At least there's the chance it could be
> sublime.
Yeah Miko, good point about just cutting loose. The stakes are higher,
lots
more risk. But it can really be transitional. At worst, it's a bomb.
Most of
us have probably been there a few more times that we like to admit. The
median
level may be inconsistency; some gigs are better than others. But the
peak is
that indescribably sublime and potent moment -- it might happen only once
in
the gig. But oooohhh... I think of it as riding a tsunami. When you hit
that
peak, it's like nothing can stop the groove.
>>Geezzz....what's my problem?????
No problem, Matt. Just being discriminating. It's refreshing.
>>I think in my own looping I've been searching and struggling for form and
>>structure in my looping compositions. I'm tired of improvised
>>guitar-drones that go nowhere, are lifeless and dead, and brandish the
>>"Recorded live with no overdubs/Completely improvised" tag.
>>>BOOORRRRING.
That's cool. What kinds of things are you into as far as introducing the
form
you're after? (I've been thinking a lot about the roles improvisation and
structure play in my loops.)
[snip]
>>P.S. That being say, the P2 song directly after the intermission was
>>*very* cool, erie, and sublime. How in the heck was Gunn triggering
>those
>>vocal samples? IMO, this song hinted at what this group of musicians are
>>capable of.
> I was pretty moved by that one as well. I had a nice seat to sit
>back
> and close my eyes, and was transported! I agree with much of what
>you
> say Matt. Sure the pounded on and on for a number of tunes.
Yeah, they really did go Somewhere Else on that one. Seemed like the
crowd was
feeling it, too.
> The more I write, the more I realize the importance of leaving
>chance
> and risk in the formula, to allow stuff to evolve and grow. How
>you
add
> structure around the chance, or add looseness to a strict
>composition
is
> a dilemma we modern electroids all have to deal with.
No kidding, Miko. Well said.
I really appreciated your comments, Matt.
laurie
>From owner-boogie-talk@listserv.duc.auburn.edu Tue Mar 24 14:42:16 1998