Thursday, September 3, 2015

King Crimson: Knife Play (2015)






This is an interesting one... In an effort to create the definitive post Power to Believe Crimson record encompassing what I call Crimson's signature "Blade music" - meaning Robert Fripp's tendency to play dark, modal music with his razor sharp tone, often improvising around a motif - I created what I deem the quintessential blade record: Knife Play. 

Knife Play is culled from two main sources, Robert Fripp and Theo Travis' Live at Coventry Cathedral, which I personally found more Crimson than the current lineup in many ways, along with ProjeKct 6 featuring Fripp with Adrian Belew on drums.  

The main point worth taking home is that this record is meant to be a musical statement in evoking a kind of sensual if almost erotic sense of mystery that I feel is what is lacking from the recent Live at the Orpheum record from the new lineup. Theo Travis' sax and flute against Fripp's dark, razor sharp guitar is something that can't be put in words. The tracks with Ade from ProjeKct 6 are the faster pieces meant to balance off the slow, moody tracks from Fripp and Travis.

I basically wanted to create the sexiest Crimson record ever, bringing the vibe closer to Swans territory with a hypnotic, emotion driven sound that one would associate with post-rock or goth music.  My only dream is that Crimson reforms in a year or two with Michael Gira as the singer and primary songwriter. Just imagining the magic combination of Fripp and Gira gives me chills. They could hire Theo Travis and Swans' bassist (forgot his name) to really give them that edge.  That would be a dream come true.

The art I chose is meant to evoke that kind of mystical decadence that I feel permeates the choice of tracks.

Enjoy.





Track list:

1. The Apparent Chaos Of Stone
2. Persian Blade
3. Duet For The End Of Time
4. Threshold
5. Mission Possible
6. The Silence Beneath
7. The Offering
8. Time Groove
9. Angels In The Roof
10. Queer Jazz
11. End Time

Link

2 comments:

  1. Simply WOW. This is a fantastic set and works perfectly as a whole. The dangerous/sensual vibe is present and palpable all throughout the 80 minutes. Wonderful. I hope to listen your next take on great rock bands very soon! Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete