N.O.R.M.A. + Chris Cutler ‎– L'Arpa E L'Asino

[Udi Koomran]

For my ears One of the best releases of the 90's
NORMA was a 7 piece line up from Bologna Italy and for this their 2nd release collaborated with Chris Cutler ( Drums) and Bob Drake ( Mixing)
Here you wlil find all the ingredients for an essential album Great musicianship imagination amd a great sense of that typically Italian humor .
Their cover of Eric Satie's Cinema is nothing short of amazing : Mixing blending cutting pasting all serving Satie's intricate writing. This is a wild ride that constantly leaves me surprised excited and
gasping .
Its a shame they never had a chance to follow up on this.
Any other fans here ?

[Bob Drake]

I enjoyed doing this mix very much, and working with Massimo and Tizano, I loved it when they asked me to push things WAY too much up front in the mix now and then; it's quite an unusual request, and as Udi can attest, not as easy to do as it sounds! I haven't listened to it since then but I do remember the atmosphere and the sound very well.

A little story - A few years after we did it, Tizano, who had never been to my place before that, told me that when he first saw what I call "the studio", his heart sunk and he said to himself: 'there is no way we can do anything here', but since that session he'd stopped buying new keyboard rigs every year and learned to use what he already had in more inventive and practical ways. I mention this little story in order to encourage any readers here who make music or recordings, or who want to make music and recordings, that you don't need loads of gear (nor the latest and newest) to do something good.

x
BD
www.bdrak.com

[Udi Koomran]

a part of my little review over at the FB Avant Progressive group I wrote " to top it all this is in my opinion one of Bob Drakes crowning achievements at the mixing board - Here he shows how to produce nuggets of gold with very little means ."

[Scrotum Scissor]

I like it well enough, but I haven't listened to it in at least a decade. Somehow it was lost on me amidst all the other stuff both Cutler and Bob were doing in the 90s and later on. The (EC) Nudes, Hail, Vril, The Science Group et al.

I'll revisit, of course. You left me no choice now.

[Udi Koomran]

Revisited this gem today
What an absolute treat


https://m.soundcloud.com/gingers-stu...rators.control

[neuroticdog]

this was one that got away so I've never heard it, only aware of it. I bet it's quite good though, especially since that was a very fertile period for him. Will have to run it down.

best
Michael

[Udi Koomran]

Take a listen to the attached soundcloud clip

[chalkpie]

Great stuff. Pretty sure I bought this on your rec Udester for a fiver from ReR. Need to dig it out again but anything involving Mr Cutler and Mr Drake will get my ear. Maybe even both. Lots of diversity, textures, and one piece is based on Satie if memory serves?

[chalkpie]

Take a listen to the attached soundcloud clip

Holy phuck...I forgot how great that is! I need to spin this on the hifi this weekend. How could anybody ever get bored with that amount of amazing stuff being thrown at 'yer earballs?