Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: Tim Berne

  1. #1

    Tim Berne

    I just heard some stuff by him and really like what I hear. He seems pretty prolific - any recommendations on where to begin or essential recordings?

    Thanks!
    Jeff

  2. #2
    Fulton Street Maul and Sanctified Dreams are the only CDs I have. Both are excellent.

  3. #3
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Fluffy Cloud
    Posts
    5,635
    The current band, with albums on ECM, are pretty great.

    I also am very fond of a very early one called "Spectres".
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Portland, OR, USA
    Posts
    1,865
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve F. View Post
    The current band, with albums on ECM, are pretty great.
    Absolutely. His writing is wild, knotty, and involved - it tends to sound a bit to me like three Monk tunes played simultaneously, all in different keys and time signatures. I even hear a bit of a stylistic overlap with some avant-prog. However, that's probably a coincidence more than anything else - perhaps a result of both Berne and the avant-proggers listening to the same kind of 20th Century classical music. Although Matt Mitchell (piano in Berne's band Snakeoil) was once a member of Thinking Plague, and Ches Smith (Snakeoil's drummer/vibist) has played with Secret Chiefs, Trio Convulsant, and other Bay Area avant-proggers.

  5. #5
    Progga mogrooves's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    The Past
    Posts
    1,900
    The Ancestors
    Mutant Variations
    Fulton Street Maul
    Saturation Point (Bloodcount)
    Discretion (Bloodcount)
    The Shell Game
    Pace Yourself (Caos Totale)
    Hell, they ain't even old-timey ! - Homer Stokes

  6. #6
    Member Morpheus's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    103
    The Sublime And (Science Friction)
    Fractured Fairy Tales
    I Think They Liked it Honey (Big Satan)

  7. #7
    Tim Berne's Caos Totale - Nice view (1994)

  8. #8
    chalkpie
    Guest


    This tune kicks all sorts of ass.

  9. #9
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    42°09′30″N 71°08′43″W
    Posts
    6,263
    The Prezens show in (2008?) in Cambridge was amazing. Keeping an eye on this thread...

  10. #10
    chalkpie
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave (in MA) View Post
    Keeping an eye on this thread...
    Me too. I am pretty Berne deficient but the little bit I have heard is very nice.

  11. #11
    Member Jay.Dee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Barcelona
    Posts
    402
    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post
    Saturation Point (Bloodcount)
    Discretion (Bloodcount)
    Quote Originally Posted by Morpheus View Post
    The Sublime And (Science Friction)
    I recommend these three, with Discretion being my favourite. Fans of tangled instrumental avant prog should not be disappointed.

  12. #12
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    744
    Been a fan for decades and he has tons and tons of releases.

    These are the one's that stick out for me (I tend to like the one's with guitar on them as Marc Ducret was his "go to" guy for a long time and he's the shit!)

    Sanctified Dreams (no guitar but still great)
    Fulton Street Maul (Frisell all over this)
    Caos Totale-Pace Yourself (Ducret rules)
    Caos Totale-Nice View-(Ducret Rules even more)
    Miniature (the self titled one...this is a trio with Berne/Joey Baron/Herb Robertson
    The Sevens (we started to get into a little studio fuckery on this one, Torn plays a big roll on this, but not on guitar)
    Hard Cell-The Shell Game--this one features Craig Taborn on piano and electric piano and he is massively cool
    Snake Oil-Shadow Man--no guitar but stellar comps and incendiary playing
    Snake Oil-You've Been Watching Me-stellar comps (squared) plus guitarist Ryan Ferreria who was unknow to me but is now my effen hero!!

    I'm leaving off shitloads of other releases, like Bloodcount and Big Satan but the above are essential.

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  13. #13
    Member progholio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    st louis
    Posts
    786
    Quote Originally Posted by Baribrotzer View Post
    Absolutely. His writing is wild, knotty, and involved - it tends to sound a bit to me like three Monk tunes played simultaneously, all in different keys and time signatures. I even hear a bit of a stylistic overlap with some avant-prog. However, that's probably a coincidence more than anything else - perhaps a result of both Berne and the avant-proggers listening to the same kind of 20th Century classical music. Although Matt Mitchell (piano in Berne's band Snakeoil) was once a member of Thinking Plague, and Ches Smith (Snakeoil's drummer/vibist) has played with Secret Chiefs, Trio Convulsant, and other Bay Area avant-proggers.
    I saw Snakeoil a couple months back, mind blowing stuff. I picked up 'You've Been Watching Me' and can give it a high recommendation. A really great ensemble and Ches Smith is an absolute mother f'ker in concert.

  14. #14
    Member Haruspex Carnage's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Everywhere, but currently NY
    Posts
    176
    The new one along with Steve Coleman's Synovial Joints have been holding my attention lately.

  15. #15
    Mind Over Friction 3 CD set available from Berne's Screwgun store. http://www.screwgunrecords.com/records.html

    Includes Science Friction studio album, plus two live discs.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by mogrooves View Post

    The Ancestors

    Mutant Variations

    Discretion (Bloodcount)
    These are all good.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  17. #17
    A couple of the lps mentioned (such as The Sublime and (Science Friction)) were released on Thrsty Ear's "Blue Series Contiuum", which Matthew Shipp convened. For a while, a decade or so back, pretty much everything that was coming out in this series was essential.

  18. #18
    First off, thanks for the suggestions - especially to Michael. I have a feeling this thread may get pretty costly before too long!

    Yesterday I downloaded Unwound by Bloodcount and have given it a couple of listens. This is some damn good stuff. The interplay between the musicians is phenomenal and it's astounding the way they switch from (what sounds like) improvisation to composed parts so seemlessly - apparently a hallmark of Berne's stuff.

    I'm probably going to d/l some more Bloodcount today - there are some over at Screwgun with Ducret and I'm eager to see what he brings to the table.

    After that, who know - the Caos Totale discs seem to be very highly regarded, but I'm seen some videos of Snakeoil and am very impressed. And there's more Bloodcount.... Damndamndamn. I will need to practice some admirable restraint here!

  19. #19
    Okay, I'm really hooked now.

    On Tuesday I added:
    Lowlife: The Paris Concert Vol1 (Bloodcount)
    Pace Yourself (Caos Totale)

    Then on Wednesday I went with:
    The Shellgame
    The Sublime And (Science Friction)

    Pardon the pun, but I really do need to pace myself here. Lots to absorb. I was loving the Science Friction stuff on its first listen last night, and I gave Lowlife a really good listen on the train this morning. Phenomenal stuff here, and so much more to explore!

  20. #20
    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Nothern Virginia, USA
    Posts
    3,022
    Late to this party, but a big Tim Berne fan.

    I think some of his earliest material that was later compiled into "The Empire Box" is some of his strongest. Songs and Rituals in Real Time is my favorite of these, but the whole box is very solid. I think it's offered for download now as the CDs are long OOP. The cast of characters include Nels Cline, Alex Cline, John Carter, Paul Motian, and Vinny Golia.

    I think you made good choices with the Bloodcount, Caos Totale, and Science Friction groups as well.
    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •