Slow Music Project on May 05, 2006 in Portland

Slow Music Project

	May 05, 2006

	Aladdin Theater Portland, OR

Notes
After the success of playing Seattle’s Crocodile Cafe in 2005, Bill Rieflin reconvened his Slow Music project in May 2006 for a short tour of America’s West Coast. As on their previous outing, the concept behind the group was simple enough: the music would be entirely improvised, it would take it’s time to explore emergent ideas, avoid the urge to fill in the empty spaces created by such an approach, and as Bill put it in an interview at the time, “you also have to pace yourself, so that you don’t shoot your wad in the first few minutes.”

The initial caution in the first of two sets here mirrors Rieflin’s instructions. The group – and this really is the sound of a group – make careful and considered contributions. The air is ultimately reflective, governed by short interactions wherein motifs are picked up and passed around for inspection, modification and incorporation into the bigger picture.

The second set’s percussive explorations and occasional jolts have a more forceful mood, which allows REM’s Peter Buck to soar away on some old-school glissando guitar. Though the overall mood created by this electro-acoustic hybrid may be sedate, don’t be fooled into thinking that it lacks intensity or drama. The combination of a group in search of their collective muse ably supported by an extremely attentive audience means that there are plenty of sparks flying by to intrigue and maintain interest.Stunning.

Tracks

Disc Number 1
1.	Improv I	[PREVIEW]	17.43
2.	Improv II	[PREVIEW]	11.25
3.	Improv III	[PREVIEW]	12.15
4.	Improv IV	[PREVIEW]	7.42
Disc Number 2
1.	Improv V	[PREVIEW]	5.27
2.	Improv VI	[PREVIEW]	15.25
3.	Improv VII	[PREVIEW]	6.25
4.	Improv VIII	[PREVIEW]	10.40
5.	Improv IX	[PREVIEW]	6.08

All previews are MP3 192kbps

Personnel
Peter Buck:guitar
Robert Fripp:guitar
Bill Rieflin:keyboards & Samples
Hector Zazou:keyboards & Samples
Matt Chamberlain:Drums & Percussion
Fred Chalenor:acoustic bass

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Band Member Diaries

Fri., May 5, 2006
Written by Robert Fripp

09.54

Hotel Acceptable, Seattle.

Morning View I…

II…

A beginning-morning dribbling from the three areas of working during the past 5 days. A lobby call for 11.30 & into the Slow Music van for a fourth area of working this week.

This evening in the UK: the opening of the Paradise – Oh! No it’s gone away! – Yippee! It’s back again exhibition at Gloucester Museum; that is, about 6 minutes from now, Pacific time.

An e-flurry & from Hell Boy Tom…http://www.fripperiesltd.com/

Perhaps I should mention these are not DGM products, nor are they an independent sideline designed & tested by the RHVL.

E-flurrying underway…

10.38 After 90 minutes of online, it’s time to stop.

19.46 Hotel Acceptable. Portland, Oregon.

A 3-hour drive from Seattle with Brian as driver, Director Bill as navigator, Hector on the first bench seat, myself on the second. Rapid check-in & a re-meet in the lobby…

… where news of tonight’s gig is in the local freebie…

… and then straight to the venue, the Aladdin Theater.

The Aladdin was formerly a Squirting Willy, an arthouse kinema of the adult variety, that (according to an employee) showed Deep Throat for “10 or 15 years” and the 35mm reels are still on the premises.

During soundcheck, sadly for Peter, (who carries the least equipment of any of the Slow Musickers) his equipment broke down. Which doesn’t seem fair.

That’s equipment singular, or Peter’s one & only pedal didn’t work. This leaves a Rickenbacker guitar plugged straight into a Fender Champ. But, with a player of Peter’s capacity & talent, that’s already well ahead of the game.

Our Director, Master & Navigator…

Matt (r) & Hector (l)…

Fred & Hector…

Fred the Beast…

Fred, Matt & Hector…

Solar Voyager 1.3, in Go! mode…

Several alternative routes from the venue back to the hotel were tested by our Driver Brian & Navigator/Director Bill (Bill announced that he can’t read maps – perhaps these only represent arbitrary topographical features of little or no seeming relevance?) but claimed to be able to work with text directions, evidence of which competence was in short supply.

At the hotel, a small salad & bowl of miso with band buddies, shower, into clean clothing & lobby call for 20.00.

The Happy Gigster has little time before lobby call…

23.57 Lotsa fun in two sets.

When John, at FOH, heard the high feedback at the beginning of the first set, he didn’t know whether this was the band or the sound system, and finally determined it was the announce microphone.

Delivered to the dressing room: a minty chocolate cheesecake from an enthusiast who had read that cheesecake is a food of wonderment & delight, and sufficient to render a Touring Gigster happy. Tonight’s cheesecake was indeed a Beast of such savageness, and shared with band buddies & pals of the dressing room kind.

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Fan Reviews

Slow Music, Wed., Mar 5, 2008
Written by Severance
Opinion after first listen... It’s slow allright. Nice airy soundscapes in a live setting, somewhat interesting but it never took off for this listener.

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