Originally this was scheduled to be the first of three ProjeKct Six dates supporting Porcupine Tree in Japan.[endtease] When Adrian became unavailable, Robert did the old “turn a disadvantage into an advantage” routine, and tackled the gigs as a solo artist.
Continuing on from the highly successful series of concerts he performed in Estonia earlier in the year (available elsewhere on the site and released as part of the Churchscapes album), Fripp opens up his first night with the sombre ruminations of the Schizoid Fantasia. You’d be hard pressed to figure out quite how these slo-mo blocks of synthetic strings equate to the stomp-on-your-bonce heaviness of Schizoid Man.That’s because they don’t. But they contain a different kind of weight and gravity all their own; the weight of experience, of loss and of a gradual coming to terms with the accumulated gravity of what has been.
The Time Stands Still segment here provides the contrast; when those ascending notes come in at around the 2.37 mark it’s like a series of doves taking flight, erupting into the light. That this is done without recourse to any extraneous grandstanding somehow makes this music all the more appealing and uplifting.
Originally this was scheduled to be the first of three ProjeKct Six dates supporting Porcupine Tree in Japan.[endtease] When Adrian became unavailable, Robert did the old “turn a disadvantage into an advantage” routine, and tackled the gigs as a solo artist.
Continuing on from the highly successful series of concerts he performed in Estonia ear...
Madness? This is the best Schizoid Fantasia of all three available (look for the secret fourth one in WFC 2010 recordings) to this date, and also the best gig of this short Japan tour. And for me, one of the "’scapes of all time". The soundscapes that were able to help me express the extreme anger buried within me are scarce, but when I find one, I listen to it for c. every 2 days for about a year. Yup, thats the one. The overall feeling of blazing ambiguity tears one apart between furio...
Madness? This is the best Schizoid Fantasia of all three available (look for the secret fourth one in WFC 2010 recordings) to this date, and also the best gig of this short Japan tour. And for me, one of the "’scapes of all time". The soundscapes that were able to help me express the extreme anger buried within me are scarce, but when I find one, I listen to it for c. every 2 days for about a year. Yup, thats the one. The overall feeling of blazing ambiguity tears one apart between furious anger and ironical laughter. The kind of a laughter that happens when one simply cannot comprehend the level of what may be... unjustice? complete outrage? Something of this sort, for sure. After the aforementioned schizoidness, Time Stands Still embraces one within its meditatively slow and calm notes. The contrast between the anguish that happened, and the uplifting beginning of this piece is a moment when a tear or two often falls from my eyes. I rarely listen to such positive pieces, especially the other two Times (Osaka&Tokyo), Evensongs, various Paradises(Regained or not) etc. etc. They’re too "positive", yes. I need my piece of drama! And this song delivers it around the 4 minute mark, when the mood gets more difficult, sadness within hope, hope within sadness together with brave but somewhat fearful(at the root) coming to terms with what has come. A heartbreaking moment, really. Plus the solo. I really enjoy the moment when Robert adds additional notes, somehow making the atmosphere lighter, and while it does not last long(the previous loop fades), its one of those very mellodic and attractive moments that I wish would go on and on. The emergence of peace, and looped guitar lines is what follows after. And of course, my favourite version of Queer Jazz: Symmetrical. A similar ambiguity like in Schizoid Fantasia, but to me it sounds more dark, cold and lonely. With flashes of irony and hysterical laughter. Robert gets some really fantastic ideas for the low end, and he plays BASS!!!! Weee! Its only 20 seconds of solo, goddamit, but I utterly and unconditionally love that moment. And then madness, madness, and more madness when long sustained screaming notes make the atmosphere very, very dense. Final Bell Threshold emerges from this ambiguous hell, but before it is fully in place there are some really scary moments when the two loops are intertwined. That short dissonance really got me. But why worry if there is such a simple and beautiful resolution? Of all Japan gigs, this one is very compressed, a lot happens with quite an intensity, whereas the rest has more meditative intermissions in between and within the pieces. More spaces of less-happening, Nagoya is filled fully to the last second. Grab it ASAP if you missed it.
Written by Piotr Grzelec
There is something different in this set of Soundscapes from Nagoya. Something quite different than in the following shows from Osaka and Tokyo. Even the preceding Churchscapes. Probably it is the mournful tone of Time Stands Still so close in mood to that of A Blessing Of Tears album. The beautiful guitar motive, placed at the end in the counterpoint brings this kind of emotions once again to my mind. Where do they come from in a strictly technical process of creating music ...
There is something different in this set of Soundscapes from Nagoya. Something quite different than in the following shows from Osaka and Tokyo. Even the preceding Churchscapes. Probably it is the mournful tone of Time Stands Still so close in mood to that of A Blessing Of Tears album. The beautiful guitar motive, placed at the end in the counterpoint brings this kind of emotions once again to my mind. Where do they come from in a strictly technical process of creating music on stage? Perhaps music is already emotional and both artist and listener are taking part in their recognition. Perhaps it is the matter of musical scales used by RF at a particular performance. Or something completely non musical, more divine, difficult to explain. The uneasiness of Final Bell Threshold brings associations with WTC performances. While Evensong from Osaka and Coda of Time Stands Still from Tokyo are peaceful and almost silent in their Moonchild like guitar tones.
Written by Jonathan Block
Good Month For Soundscapes
To these ears, November 2006 has some of the most realized soundscapes released and reached a pinnacle, the perception of which this show further expands. This show is more of a continuous composition rather than a series of connected pieces. The transition between Schizoid Fantasia and Time Stands Still (a truncated Bell Transition) is particularly effective. If you have yet to experience any of the shows from this month, this is an good place to start. There is a depth to both the construct...
To these ears, November 2006 has some of the most realized soundscapes released and reached a pinnacle, the perception of which this show further expands. This show is more of a continuous composition rather than a series of connected pieces. The transition between Schizoid Fantasia and Time Stands Still (a truncated Bell Transition) is particularly effective. If you have yet to experience any of the shows from this month, this is an good place to start. There is a depth to both the construction and execution of all three of the currently available shows, helped in part by the excellent sound quality. Any of these shows would make a great surround sound release.
