Sorry Richard, I love your stuff man, loads of fantastic albums...but Strange Relations 1 to 6 just leave me cold. Is that your experimental avantnoise/RIO/fusion suite? :-) .....so I hope you have got that need out of your system now...:-) :-) :-)
Ylla and Monna Tessa are the only songs I like on the album and they are very good.
I believe it's called "moving on." I have most of Mr. Wileman's output, so if I long to hear his earlier style, I can easily put on Constellations, Eve, or The Age of Science and Enlightenment - all great works. However, I think Richard's new album is sublime. I'll admit that it was odd hearing it for the first time, but now I've come to the realization that, for me at east, it's a damn fine release. For many artists, it's incredibly hard to break new ground after having been "in the game" for so many years, yet Richard's gone and done it with aplomb. I think having certain additional players such as Kavus guesting on the recording has definitely aided in shifting the focus onto a completely different road. May he keep on traveling down that route, I say!
When i've heard it on randomly in my 2015 playlist the drums have definitely made my ears perk up.
My favorite album of the year, particularly SR 1-5. Just fantastic music, imo.
Specifically, I love the chords, the melodies are interesting, and I love the changes-the mondo moments, the overall instrumentation and voices really meld to make a satisfying listening experience for me personally.
As I recall Peter, you can't stand my music either. Music is so subjective. Just one of those things
Please remind me Bill of your Music. Memory not What it was......who knows....I might like it Now. :-)
Cirrus BayOriginally Posted by PeterG
you may like some of the folkier prog sections, but maybe not the more complex wierd side
Weeps....
haha, not really! All makes for good discussion. The creations that amble out of the workshop are often unalike, although they sometimes have similar organs. I just stich them together and set them free. It's up to you if or when you want to invite them in for a cup of tea
As Bruce said 'it was odd hearing it for the first time' - well, similarly for me it was odd writing it for the first time. But I knew I was onto something. With a bit of luck, it's just a matter of time for you for it to click. I'd say especially 2 & 4 are no 'tougher' than say 'The Haunter Of The Dark' from 'Mondo Profondo' - all the chords and twists are in there. But who knows? I know you're into the project so I get the spirit with which you started this thread. The most interesting artists are the ones that you don't quite know what's round the corner next and I try to realise this with my own stuff. Funny old road.
Richard
Last edited by Karda Estra; 03-21-2015 at 06:40 PM.
You are probably right Richard, and you are in great company, because the first time I listened to Heaven Born and Ever Bright, I felt like WTF IS THIS GUYS? But it grew on me and soon became my fav Cardiacs album, which was further cemented after seeing the lads play much of it at the many gigs I went to round that time. :-) My record was three Cardiacs gig in one week.
I'll leave SR to 'do a HB&EB' then... I hope....
Richard
Hi Richard, I'd been meaning to write you about "Strange Relations", but since this thread is here I'll do it publicly. I'm really enjoying the album, it flows as seamlessly as most all your albums do. Special mention goes to Paul Sears for his consistently crisp and creative drumming. And I love all the guitar textures, and how they mix with the woodwinds and keyboards, etc. I wanted to ask you how the hardcore (in German we'd say "eingefleischt") KE fans are reacting to it. It is pretty much consistently at the outer edges of tonality. I can enjoy Stockhausen at breakfast, so it's not that foreign to my ears, but most people react adversely to prolonged dissonance. But I guess this thread partially answers my question :-) . Keep up the great work!
I think it probably will RichardI'll leave SR to 'do a HB&EB' then... I hope....
Richard
Prolonged dissonance isn't so much my thing, I'll admit. I like an intriguingly beautiful melody. But the thing with SR that makes it interesting is the mix of dissonance and beauty. It is very melodic while being also on the edge of tonality. It is a difficult blend for a composer I think, and I would think any composer would at least be somewhat fascinated and not a little impressed by the compositions. So, I, who am so easily bored by things straightforward (even among some very popular progressive artists), am thoroughly enjoying this.
Hi Brian - many thanks, really glad you're enjoying it. To answer your question...
Feedback from listeners, other musicians and reviews so far have been pretty positive, although with the caveat that I haven't seen a huge amount yet! But general interest has been a bit higher than the last couple of albums - there's going to be a page on KE in the next Prog magazine for example. Several of those writers I would include as 'eingefleischt'! I have however had two reviews that have expressed puzzlement at the direction the album has taken (including Expose). And of course, yes there's this thread!
For myself, I think 'SR2', 'SR4' and 'Monna Tessa' are three of the most melodic things I've done (in my sense of melodic
Knowing the breadth and depth of both your listening and composing, I'm delighted I can still be a source of entertainment!
Richard
Last edited by Karda Estra; 03-25-2015 at 05:20 PM.
Many thanks, Bill - very nice summing up - certainly what I hoped to achieve.
Richard
I happen to agree with our mutual good friend Brian here. I think it's an excellent album. I don't think it's all that different from other things you've done but then i have and love them all.
There is a more rock aspect (not unheard of in your output, actually) but otherwise it seems musically congruent with the best of your other albums. I suppose OMMV.
Thanks for the continued inspiration, man. And bravo to you, Kavus and Paul for truly fine performances!
K
And the code is a play, a play is a song, a song is a film, a film is a dance...
I think it certainly rocks more than the others I have do not incongruously so. I'm enjoying it but it'll take more spins to start being absorbed.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Thanks, Kim & Ian.
Truth is, as I said in the other thread, I had come to the end of the line with KE a year or so ago. I genuinely couldn't come up with or improve on what I'd done before and there were quite a few twists already. When Paul got in touch, this was sufficiently inspiring enough to try some new methods (for me anyhow). So it was this or nothing anyway because the last thing I want to do is waste my time or anyone else's doing a second rate 'Constellations' or 'Libertine' again. The single, only redeeming feature of piloting an ongoing commercial failure
I'm working with Paul again and things are sounding quite different to 'Strange Relations' as well as I've no wish to repeat that album either. Paul is instinctively trying new stuff out as well as getting into some experiments I want to try. KE is an elastic enough project to handle these twists and turns I think. I'd get bored if it wasn't. I'm not saying I always get it right, far from it as some days I think I always get it wrong but to be honest, I'm only interested in going into my music room if I don't really know how the next few hours will pan out.
Richard
Last edited by Karda Estra; 03-28-2015 at 07:04 AM.
Hadn't heard much KE before, but the Strange Relations 2 track linked to above has an interesting John Barry-meets-Bob Drake feel to it, without really sounding like anything other than itself. Good work!
Thanks, Matt. John Barry meets Bob Drake sounds like good company!
Richard
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