1992 was a busy period for Robert Fripp and Trey. Not only was the Robert Fripp String Quintet active but Fripp and Gunn were touring with David Sylvian developing material that would eventually lead to The First Day album released in 1993.
Fripp and Gunn were also working on a variety of themes and motifs though whether any of the items in this haul of audio treasure trove excerpted from a 45-minute DAT were intended for the Quintet, Sylvian & Fripp or the looming possibility of King Crimson isn’t clear.
What is apparent however is the abundance of ideas each of these four pieces contains. The first has the cyclical shimmering guitar that Fripp would explore in his early soundscapes (especially those in Argentina two years later).
The second is a darker theme underpinned by Gunn’s loping Stick line. There’s a close resemblance in the third piece to the bridge of Sylvian & Fripp’s Jean The Birdman but in this instance, they are expanded upon and fly off to an altogether different space.
Fripp and Gunn’s tight unison work definitely has a whiff of Crimson sulphur about it, while the fourth piece - perhaps the most surprising find of all - is a delicate, lilting prelude to a ballad that is quite unlike anything we’ve ever heard from this duo.
