The 11th gig on the marathon G3 tour with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani finds Fripp thinking on a truly grand scale when it comes to filling the air with sound.
If Frippertronics traded in quickly-resolving themes that served up a kind of instant gratification, his soundscapes are the very opposite; their glacial pace enabling the sweet melodies to graciously unfurl in an slo-mo ecstasy.
In Dreamscape II minor chords are introduced. Like dye in the water they quickly colour the previously restrained and stately flow, ushering in something altogether darker. Small growling eddies of electronics swirl and flurry, gathering pace as the descending motif builds the sense of anticipation and unease. It’s not clear whether the abrupt ending of this section was by design or by a aberrant stomp on a foot-pedal. Either way, the sheer scale of the sonic architecture which Fripp builds in just over an hour is remarkable.
Though predominately sombre in mood there’s no shortage of beautiful themes and melodies, all of which hang in the air, above the 4000 or so seats in the auditorium. This epic music on a truly epic scale.
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