Many a guitar fan would have predicted that a summit between legendary guitarists Andy Summers (the Police) and Robert Fripp (King Crimson) would result in a guitar solofest. But the music on their first collaboration together, I Advance Masked, stresses guitar textures and moods over indulgent soloing. Although the recording sessions weren't entirely enjoyable for Summers (who was experiencing marital problems at the time), some very beautiful music can be found on the resulting album. The music for the track "Girl on a Swing" does an excellent job of conveying the song's title in one's mind, and the duo's guitars weave wonderful polyrhythmic guitar lines throughout "China – Yellow Leader." "The Truth of Skies" is an atmospheric piece, created by a wash of keyboard sounds and guitar dissonance, while "New Marimba" would have sounded right at home on an early-'80s King Crimson album. I Advance Masked has a dreamlike quality to it, and is definitely not typical rock music. It's highly recommended to fans of these two great and original guitarists.
The subject of many poor quality bootlegs, this concert - one of only a handful undertaken by Fripp & Eno - is routinely described as ‘legendary’.
Robert Fripp's solo debut, originally released in 1979, Exposure is not only an important release historically in terms of influencing much music to come, including post-punk popular groups of today, it also is a who's who of guest musicians from Daryl Hall to Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, Terre Roche, Brian Eno, Tony Levin, Phil Collins, Narada Michael Walden, Jerry Marotta, Barry Andrews and Sid McGinnis. This standard edition is being released as a two disc set, with 24-page booklet. Remastered with many previously unreleased tracks. The jewel case version is being released simultaneously with a limited edition gatefold deluxe version which will appeal to the large base of serious Fripp collectors. Only packaging differs between the two versions tracks remain the same.
With new Eco friendly rechargeable batteries in his torch, and dry cleaned fedora upon his head, it's that time of year when good old Mr Stormy gives up his newly discovered treasures. A fourth year of treats unearthed from the murky, cavernous DGM archives. These have previously only been offered as MP3s, but now, for your delight and fetishization, they can be suffered in full FLAC quality. Take your time to enjoy yet another marvellous collection of newly polished gems!
When Robert Fripp is away from King Crimson, truly magical things come from his guitar. In a solo context, Fripp presents Soundscapes, built on the tradition of Frippertronics, a mode of musical expression he pioneered with Brian Eno over the course of two albums in the 1970s, No Pussyfooting and Evening Star. Those early albums relied on actual physical loops of tape, adding new elements with each repetition. Such limitations no longer exist. Working here in the realm of one guitar, and many, many effects processors, Fripp produces tones and textures that one would not assume are coming from a guitar at all.
Noise in Your Head is a new five-disc box set that brings together Toyah Willcox‘s three albums as ‘The Humans’ and presents them to a wider audience with a raft of bonus material.
Robert Fripp's beautiful but brief compilation, Pie Jesu, features material from A Blessing of Tears and The Gates of Paradise; the CD acts as an appealing, accessible introduction to his contemporary Frippertronics, which Fripp appropriately terms "Soundscapes." The music, created entirely from guitar and effects, including loops, delay, and repetition, is easy to consume and digest – a very comfortable, tranquil, flowing sound, somewhat different from his '70s Frippertronics excursions. While some critics have inappropriately termed/described his Soundscapes series as new age music, it is far from it. Fripp has been experimenting with these sounds through a variety of structures and presentations for more than 25 years.
Robert Fripp's "1999" CD from 1994 was released during a time when the legendary guitarist was making a major comeback. King Crimson had returned after a decade-long absence and Fripp re-emerged with his first solo performances in almost as long. 1994 also marked the birth of Fripp's 'soundscaping' technique which was and still is an extension of his 'Frippertronic' experiments of the 1970's and '80's. Instead of using two tape machines as had been the norm with 'Frippertronics', Soundscapes utilized digital technology and guitar-synthesizers to create and loop the endless mass of sound created by Fripp from his guitar. The idea was not a new one but the sound definitely was.