And so to Brussels. Perhaps the real treat here is the soundcheck wherein the famously nimble Fripp feet flick and click all manner of buttons and stomp boxes laid before them. As a result, we get to eavesdrop on a constantly novel scape that includes a few lead lines that don’t normally make it to the actual performance.
And what a performance. The first piece has all of the characteristics of a classic soundscape; emotional depth and space, soaring melody, deep swells of shifting harmonies, tones and colours. It’s a mix that’s as powerful as it is beautiful.
In the second of the three pieces, things are more opaque and as it slowly develops, more confrontational in terms of the voices and textures deployed. To what extent is this a reaction by the guitarist to what’s happening around him, is difficult to judge. However, in his diary, written after the gig, Fripp notes, “I was not the right performer for tonight’s photo session…There was a shout of encouragement, that is, encouraging Soundscapes to cessate the world of bleeping & droning; this amidst the flashes.”
And yet, what we hear after the impressive third piece slowly and gently fades out to supportive applause, is something that is as triumphant as it is transcendent. As far as these ears are concerned, if you only opt to have one from this new tranche of live recordings, make it this one.
Tracks in Brackets, have been previously released as part of the Music For Quiet Moments Series
