Belew Coverage
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jun 9, 2013
Over the last 48 hours the interweb has been agog with numerous music news sites running the story about Adrian Belew's departure from the live version of NIN. The latest of these is the LA Times though earlier versions of this story doing the rounds included more detail from Adrian about his quitting the band. 

Belew's FLUX
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Fri., Jun 7, 2013
Adrian Belew has shared his thoughts on his new musical venture which he calls FLUX. The following is taken from his Facebook update and is reprinted here for those not signed up to the social network site.

hey world!
for more than 2 years now
Daniel Rowland and I have been working on my new solo project. all of us recording artists are charged with making yet another record, another CD, releasing another download into the massive download universe.
this is not that.
this is something which, to my knowledge, has never been done. that rare entity:
something new. a different way to enjoy music.

it's called FLUX: Music That Is Never The Same Twice.

think about that for a moment.
music that is never the same twice. how is that possible?
what will it sound like?

over the upcoming weeks I intend to tell you all about it but with the limited space of facebook I'll have to break into pieces (kind of like the music itself).
but for now let me say this.
FLUX will be a kind of listening
"experience". each time you hear it, the experience will be unique and surprising. even I will never know where it will begin, where it will end, or what will happen in between.
since FLUX is not meant to be
"commercial" it can and will contain literally anything which appeals to my ears. found sounds, guitar effects, snippets, and loads of bits of music and songs. every now and then a whole song play all the way through, but most of the time songs will come to you in ever-changing pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle. even the pieces will not always sound the same.
for example, instead of a song having the same guitar solo each time, alternate solos may happen when you least expect it. or a different mix. a different vocal with new words. anything may happen!

FLUX will also be interactive so you the listener can affect the experience and personalize it more to your taste. over time it will include simple but random visuals which you may also have a hand in.

FLUX: Music That Is Never The Same Twice has one more serious difference to a CD/download. it will never be finished. I intend to add to it as often as possible to further insure you'll never hear it the same way twice. FLUX is in fact a living evolving entity."

To read about the genesis of FLUX go to Adrian's blog

Happy Birthday Tony Levin
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Jun 6, 2013
King Crimson's longest-serving bassist celebrates his birthday today. What are your favourite TLev moments during his time in King Crimson? Answers on the guestbook please.

Came Back Haunted
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Jun 6, 2013
The new single from Nine Inch Nails is online for your listening pleasure here. Came Back Haunted is taken from the forthcoming NIN album, featuring contributions from Adrian Belew, later this year.  

A Motley Crew
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Thu., Jun 6, 2013
It's so rare for the extended DGM Live team to be in one location but yesterday on the banks of the river Thames there gathered an illustrious quartet.

My Phone Wants To Kill Your Sonata
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Wed., Jun 5, 2013
The Daily Telegraph carries a report on another musician unhappy at being filmed on a phone during a concert. "For any sensitive musician it is a disturbance to be filmed without permission. The people who have paid for entry deserve to hear the concert undisturbed too." You can read the article here.

Who Says The Prog Wars Are Dead?
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Tue., Jun 4, 2013
A somewhat skeptical review of a new book entitled Yes Is The Answer: And Other Prog Rock Tales has appeared in the New York Times. The sniping tone of the review prompted Alex Ross, author of The Rest Is Noise, to comment on Twitter "Mocking a rock-crit anthology as a "paper treehouse for gentlemen of a certain age" seems a tricky move for a 47-year-old male pop critic." Music critic Steve Smith also provided a link to this blog which takes the review and the review to task. Finally, John Schaefer hosts a discussion about the book with co-editor Tyson Cornell and prog rock and includes contributions from Robert Fripp and a snippet from LTIA2. Margaret Wappler also talks about her experience of listening to ITCOTCK in the 90s.

P2 Rehearsals For Download
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Mon., Jun 3, 2013
Mister Stormy has compiled some of the highlights of two days rehearsal in Nashville prior to their debut gig.

Thomas De Hartmann Project With Elan Sicroff
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sun., Jun 2, 2013
The Kickstarter-funded Thomas De Hartmann Project with pianist Elan Sicroff, previously mentioned in these pages, is within reach of its goal but still needs your support. Regular visitors will know of this project from its frequent mentions in Robert Fripp's diaries. You can find out more about the Kickstarter project page. 

Court's Counterbalance
:: Posted by Sid Smith on Sat., Jun 1, 2013
Here's an entertaining account of listening to In The Court Of The Crimson King from the pages of PopMatters.