Fripp Robert

Travis & Fripp has proved to be one of the most enduring of Robert Fripp’s many duo projects – all the more remarkable really, given that both musicians are consistently involved in other projects; for Fripp, a renewed King Crimson has been a primary musical enterprise since 2014, while Theo Travis has, in recent years recorded and toured with David Sylvian, Steven Wilson, continues as a member of Soft Machine, runs his own band Double Talk & still somehow, finds time for an ongoing commitment to teaching a next generation of musicians.

Robert Fripp - Soundscapes - Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, MO, USA - March 4, 2006 (2006) {DGM Official Digital Download}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (dgmlive.com) -> 360 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 148 Mb | Artwork (jpg) | 5% repair rar
© 2006 Discipline Global Mobile / King Crimson / DGMlive.com
Rock / Art Rock / Soundscapes / Ambient

Arguably one of the most anticipated downloads on DGMlive, time and space seem to be a movable feast on this the last date of the Soundscapes Do Dixie tour. Playing in a venue where Chuck Berry struts his stuff on a monthly basis, Fripp’s past and present coalescence into an event and performance which he describes as possessing “resonance.” Having a good crowd must’ve been something to do with it. “Probably the best audience of the tour: generous, supportive, attentive. Even, with a noticeable proportion of female women lady persons present” recorded Robert in his diary.

Robert Fripp & League Of Gentlemen - Russell Club, Manchester, UK - May 30, 1980 (2012) {DGM Official Digital Download}
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© 1980, 2012 Discipline Global Mobile / King Crimson / DGMlive.com
Rock / Progressive Rock / Art Rock

As the League head north, possibly chastened by the previous evening’s encounter with a mouthy fan in London, there’s only a rather fleeting stage announcement from Fripp tonight. There’s a business-like feel to the concert which is not to say that it’s in any way deficient or lacking. Rather, the band maintain a tight focus on the notes perhaps rather than it’s spirit. Major hits are scored with Hepataparaparshinokh and the wild-card sorties that are Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx I & II have the effect of bulldozing aside any doubts or worries about such matters.

Travis & Fripp - Discretion (2012) {B&W Society of Sound 50 Official Digital Download}
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© 2012 Travis & Fripp / Bowers & Wilkins / UMG
Soundscapes / Rock / Avant-Garde / Experimental / Ambient / Art Rock

‘Discretion’ is the brand new album by pioneering guitar legend Robert Fripp and flautist/saxophonist Theo Travis made available for Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound in stunning 24 bit high quality digital format. The music follows on from the duo’s previous album releases and combines almost telepathic interplay with a deep understanding of musical texture and space, the building of long slow melodies, and the creation of slowly shifting harmonic soundscapes.

The final instalment of Judy’s entrancing trilogy of albums for Talking Elephant is a perfect continuation of the second (Spindle), notably in the consistency of both its poetic lyrical invention and its adopted sound-world. It brings eight more new songs to the table, resplendent in beautiful aural clothing that’s smooth but edgy, refined but somehow quite primeval. The dominant timbre is, as before, intelligent prog-ambient keyboard texturings, which are all down to the wizardry of Judy’s chief collaborator Mark Swordfish (of Astralasia); however, such is the excellence of the recording that neither is Judy’s vocal ever in danger of being drowned in a sea of synths nor are the key instrumental lines or "voices" held anywhere but in exemplary balance.

Travis & Fripp - All Saints Church, Broad Chalke, United Kingdom - May 21, 2009 (2009) {DGM Official Digital Download}
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© 2009 Travis & Fripp / Discipline Global Mobile / King Crimson / DGMlive.com
Soundscapes / Rock / Avant-Garde / Experimental / Ambient / Art Rock

Following on from the previous evening’s performance at Wimborne Minster, Travis & Fripp decamp to Broad Chalke. Around 50 or so people gratefully exchanged the sweltering heat outdoors for All Saints’ cool stone walls and lofty wooden rafters. Working in a productive mixture of agreed areas (such as a key or a “feel”) and complete improvisation, the performance is a delicately tightrope walk between two worlds. Perhaps due to differences of venues, times and the occasion (this was ostensibly a fund-raiser for the local school), the music seemed lighter in tone compared to the more sombre mood struck the previous evening.

Almost 30 years on since Evening Star, Robert Fripp and Brian Eno resume their collaboration, and remarkably, they seem to have picked up right where they left off. Remarkably, because Fripp's more recent soundscaping has had a different quality than either his collaborations with Eno or his proper "Frippertronics" albums like Let the Power Fall or the solo side of God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners. Surely they're not back to using the old Revox tape machine setup, but having Eno in the producer's chair (not to mention making his own musical contributions) seems to add a warmth that's been missing from albums like 1999. But much like Evening Star showed a progression from No Pussyfooting, The Equatorial Stars is another step forward while retaining all the same elements as their previous work together…

Travis & Fripp - St. Michael & All Saints Church, Bishop's Cleeve, UK - May 22, 2009 (2009) {DGM Official Digital Download}
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© 2009 Travis & Fripp / Discipline Global Mobile / King Crimson / DGMlive.com
Soundscapes / Rock / Avant-Garde / Experimental / Ambient / Art Rock

Although the titles to several of the tracks may be the same as those at Broad Chalke, the performance in front of a large audience has a much grander and at times, darker feel, to the previous evening. The difference can be heard almost immediately in the opening track. Whereas, The Apparent Chaos of Stone was a more languorous affair at Broad Chalke, here at Bishop’s Cleeve, Fripp begins to throw some startling curve-balls of pensive guitar after only a few minutes. Given the slow silky tones that makes up much of the opening piece it can be easy to miss some of the detailed interplay that occurs between the two players.

No-Man - Flowermix (1995) {Hidden Art - hi-art 2} (Steven Wilson, Robert Fripp)
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© 1995 Hidden Art | hi-art 2
Rock / Electronic / Art Rock / Experimental Rock / Alternative

Initially surfacing as a cassette in 1995, then reappearing later that year as a slightly revised and expanded CD, Flowermix, as the name indicates, consists mainly of remixes from the excellent Flowermouth album. Steve Wilson himself handles almost half the efforts, the rest given over to folks like David Kosten, later of Faultline; Os, aka Andrew Ostler, future partner of Tim Bowness in Darkroom; and Bowness himself. While some mixes concentrate on a dancefloor setting, others take a subtler approach or otherwise seem less concerned with raves as with their own internal logic.