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Overview of "Perfect Abstract (Guitar Only)"
Perfect Abstract (Guitar Only) is an album by Thad DeBrock, released in 2019. The album showcases DeBrock's guitar work and features a total of 9 tracks.
Album Details
Attribute
Description
Release Date
January 4, 2019
Total Tracks
9
Total Duration
43 minutes
Notable Tracks
Hello (Can You Hear Me)
Like It's the First Time
This album is available on various music platforms, including the iTunes Store.
Perfect Abstract is a distinctive album by Thad DeBrock, featuring a guitar-only format. It consists of 9 songs and has a total runtime of 43 minutes. This album marks a departure from DeBrock's earlier works, emphasizing a unique artistic direction focused solely on guitar compositions.
Comparison with Previous Albums
Feature
Perfect Abstract
Previous Albums
Format
Guitar-only
Varied instrumentation
Number of Songs
9
Typically more songs
Total Runtime
43 minutes
Varies
Artistic Direction
Focus on guitar
Broader musical styles
Key Differences
Instrumentation: Unlike previous albums that may include various instruments, Perfect Abstract is solely focused on guitar.
Artistic Direction: This album represents a shift in DeBrock's approach, showcasing his guitar skills in a more concentrated manner.
Overall, Perfect Abstract stands out as a unique entry in Thad DeBrock's discography, highlighting his versatility and commitment to exploring new musical avenues.
Instability is the third album from
Defense Technologies. This was the result of recording sessions in June,
July and November 2024. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Worthless
Research Dublabs in Providence RI
With
the DiN label celebrating its 25th anniversary it’s perhaps important
to remember that one of the founding principles of the imprint was to
encourage musical collaborations between different artists. Indeed label
boss Ian Boddy has previously collaborated with eight separate
musicians, including such luminaries as Robert Rich, Erik Wøllo, Chris
Carter, Markus Reuter and Mark Shreeve (as ARC). Thus when the UK based
Awakenings electronic music concert series invited Boddy to perform a
gig alongside Dave Bessell an opportunity arose for a new, untried
musical collaboration.
Bessell of course is no stranger to followers of DiN records with his
solo work, albums alongside Parallel Worlds and his part in synth
supergroup Node. Both artists played solo sets before joining forces for
a stunning 60 minute joint performance. This album features the latter
set which is split into two longer sections followed by their ambient
encore.
Opening proceedings with retro abstract synth meanderings it’s not long
before Boddy’s signature Ondes voice shines through the gloom and a
calm, gentle section sees Bessell join in with the beautiful tones of
his Aum guitar. After a brief ambient interlude Boddy begins to build a
wall of sequencers brick by brick with Bessell soloing on Minimoog before the music all comes crashing back down to the eerie tones that started this set.
The second piece begins with unusual, piquant harmonic progressions from
Bessell overlaid with pizzicato percussion. There follows a lengthy,
extended sequencer session which is again meticulously constructed by
Boddy and his arsenal of modular synths. Whilst Bessell provides an arc
of ever rising chordal pads Boddy continuously twists and turns the
ostinato patterns as this section rises to a monumental sonic climax.
Following such hectic, rhythmic textures the duo opt for a gentle,
blissful encore with each artist improvising against each other with
warm, analogue chords and pads.
Polarity again shines a light on the wonderful opportunities
collaborations can offer, especially in a live performance where each
artist has to not only play but also listen to, and respond to the other
performer.
credits
releases August 16, 2024
Our thanks to Ian Boddy for providing us with a copy of this release. Performed by Ian Boddy & Dave Bessell at the Awakenings, Lea Hall Pavilion, Rugeley on 25th November 2023.
Mixed and mastered by Ian Boddy April 2024.
Thanks to the Awakenings team:
Phil Booth - coordination & sound
Dave Buxton - raconteur
Jez Creek - projections
awakenings-em.co.uk
Ian Boddy plays:
Eurorack modular
Moog Matriarch
Buchla Easel Command
Analogue Systems French Connection
Make Noise 0-Coast
Novation Summit
Ex-Friend Synth
Analogue Solutions Generator sequencer
Dave Bessell plays:
Alesis Andromeda
Minimoog & Moog Sub 37
Osmose
Vermona Perfourmer
Deepmind 12
Behringer TR9
Eurorack modular
Engine sequencer
Gibson Les Paul & Aum guitars
Jam Origin MIDI Guitar 2
Mastered by Alex at quiet details studios
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with James Bernard
Design by quiet details
Extremely pleased to say that next up with their interpretation of quiet details is the wonderful James Bernard.
Since the 90s James has been responsible for some of the most beautiful
and inspirational music around, crossing genres and always having a firm
footing in the most ethereal of spaces.
Starting with the hugely influential album, Atmospherics on Rising High
Records, James has continued to evolve in the thirty years he has been
honing his craft.
Many self-releases and on leading labels such as A Strangely Isolated
Place and Past Inside the Present, in addition to his work as a
mixing/mastering engineer, have led to James being considered one of the
leading lights in modern ambient music.
Only Now shows exactly what James is about in this moment in time.
Stunningly beautiful waves of bliss undulate across each track - layers
of delicate synthesisers and electro-acoustic textures so carefully constructed.
Using a range of carefully chosen sound sources, from electric bass to a
vintage 303, cutting-edge digital synths, granular devices and pedals -
he draws out magical soundscapes full of intuition and emotion.
As he says:
“most of these compositions are live improvisations using a single
instrument source, performed and captured in one take incorporating
sound on sound looping techniques
they have been recorded in different locations, including remote areas
of the Los Padres National Forest in California (as you can hear in some
of the field recordings)”
You can hear all the years of experience flooding out of the music, the
patience and confidence in allowing things to bloom in their own time
creates a feeling of euphoria mixed with pure serenity.
There’s a constant flow of meditative calm as the album drifts ever
forward, this is music for contemplation and reflection - realised in
the most gorgeous way by a master of his craft.
It’s evident from the music this is beautifully conceived, as it is from James’ words:
I find my center in the creation of improved musical motifs
exploring different themes, guiding them and shaping them
listening to them in wonder as they slowly morph, evolve
and form into something that is enigmatic
something that speaks into music, the words that can be elusive
this album would not have been possible without the love and support of one amazing woman, my wife cynthia
A breath-taking album of peaceful beauty, so pleased to share it with you.
Huge thanks to James for everything, a wonderful addition to the series.
The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind
the album - originating from a photo from James which was then captured
with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.
As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom 6-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.
The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, representing the music in its purest form.
Recorded on July 26 2022 by Arno Jordan at
Castle Studios, Röhrsdorf, Germany
Mixed and Mastered by Markus Reuter, December 23, 2022
license
all rights reserved
qorakitobchi's
album "Ruins of Uzbekistan" is a relentless sonic journey that seems to
have emerged from the very heart of Central Asia's unforgiving deserts.
It resonates as if it were forged in the crucible of nomadic noise
musicians, whose sonic expressions are as abrasive as the winds that
sweep across the arid expanse. Enveloped by layers of dust, battered by
the relentless desert gales, and occasionally swallowed by the shifting
sands, qorakitobchi's compositions evoke a powerful and unyielding
experience, akin to navigating a monolithic wall of sound amidst the
captivating mystique of Central Asia.
credits
released September 21, 2023
Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella for providing FreeForm with a copy of this release. REVIEWS
qorakitobchi is the brainchild of Anvar Kalandarov, a musician hailing
from Uzbekistan. Since its inception in 2012, this project has boldly
ventured into uncharted sonic territories. Anvar has crafted a sonic
experience that melds the harsh, unyielding essence of industrial,
drone, and noise elements from Western origins with the primal and
unrefined qualities of traditional Uzbek musical instruments, including
the tanbur, the rubab, and the sato.
Be sure to follow KMXT FreeForm Radio on Facebook and Bandcamp.
Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.
The
music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp
pages and websites (links below).
We urge you to support the musicians you hear on FreeForm Radio.
We are excited to feature Lobate Scarp's new release, You Have It All on tonight's show. This is a superb recording, destined to be a classic of contemporary progressive rock. Our thanks to Adam Sears for providing a promotional copy of this release.
What kind of band would you get if you combined Keith Emerson on
keyboards, Steve Hackett on guitar, Chris Squire on bass, Neil Peart on
drums, and Robby Steinhardt on violin? That’s the best way I can try and
communicate to you what the sound of Lobate Scarp is like. But don’t
get me wrong; I don’t mean to suggest that Lobate Scarp is simply a
pastiche of familiar sounds from ELP, Genesis, Yes, Rush, and Kansas.
Not at all. What I mean is that the sound of Lobate Scarp is like some
impossible dream come true.
As if it burst forth from the dream world of their cover art, Lobate
Scarp does indeed have their very own unique sound. That’s the wondrous
fact now firmly established by You Have It All, their second full-length album. It is a truly magnificent achievement. It instantly secures You Have It All a permanent place in the celestial upper echelon where my all-time favorite records rotate in eternal bliss.
Back in 2012, Lobate Scarp’s first CD, Time and Space,
contained exquisite intimations of greatness. I am forever grateful to
Adam Sears himself for boldly going where no band had gone before and
introducing his work to me. I was simply floored. This band was offering
something new: yes, their own sound; and who cares about fashion, we
always want bravely epic prog with unlimited daring. Helmed by Adam’s
visionary hand, that courageous debut album also hinted at a future
greatness, because right away there was debate about the merits of the
CD on this site. That’s a small clue a band just may be very special.
That kind of debate does not happen for a band that is a mere copycat
nostalgia act trying to replay the glories of the era of the birth of
prog. No, a band with their own sound, and doing something new and
interesting, will inevitably provoke different and polarizing responses.
First, Progarchy published a negative assessment, and then a positive assessment. Finally, I tried to break the deadlock at Progarchy, by myself declaring the album one of the very best albums of the year.
Over the years, I was delighted to learn of the band being quietly at work, with an occasional burst of beautiful light in 2016 and 2019. And now the patient work of a decade has come to fruition. You Have It All is an apt title for an album of such staggering ambition that actually and successfully attains all the moonshots it takes.
The first thing that has to be said about this record is just how
good it sounds. It is absolutely one of the best sounding audio
experiences of my life. Steven Leavitt and Rich Mouser and Michael
Bernard have all done amazing work with this CD and created an audio
paradise. The production and engineering investment of talent that has
been lovingly poured into this record is indisputable in every note.
Every penny that was crowdfunded has been spent to dazzling effect.
The startlingly immediate surround-sound of the drum kit on every
track is a marvel to behold, whether it is special guest drummer Eric
Moore (of Suicidal Tendencies, and Infectious Grooves) on the two epic
tracks “You Have It All” (14:31) and “Flowing Through the Change”
(17:25), or Jimmy Keegan (of Spock’s Beard, and Pattern Seeking Animals)
or Mike Gerbrandt on the other tracks. And the various guitar tones
will have you doing double takes… who is that? Is Steve Hackett on this album, or what??? And Adam Sears can be likened to Keith Emerson for his uncompromising pursuit of sound for the sake of glorious sound.
Usually, Lobate Scarp is Adam Sears (vocals/ keys), Andy Catt (bass),
Peter Matuchniak (guitar), Evan Michael Hart (drums), and Christina
Burbano-Jeffrey (violin), as when they performed most recently at
RoSFest in April in Sarasota, Florida. But the impressive parade of
studio musicians appearing on the CD recording is a testament to Lobate
Scarp’s unrelenting pursuit of excellence by any means necessary. I have
the impression that they will record and re-record, and collaborate and
re-collaborate, again and again, in any permutation and combination of
talents, regular or extraordinary, as they pursue the perfect sound and
the perfect record. And gosh darn it, their diligence of a decade has
paid off mightily with this release.
You Have It All has the effect of a typical Yes album on me,
in that it unfailingly elevates my spirit and transforms my mood for
the better just by listening. This is no small musical miracle. Yes is a
band prized as rare on this earth for just that reason. Operating in
that same prog tradition of making intimate contact with the listener,
Lobate Scarp uses their magic power to do what only the rarest of
musicians have the power to do.
As far as I can discern the story tying the album together, it goes
something like this. The hero of the story is Everyman, so let’s call
him Adam, since that is what the word Adam means. Adam is jamming with
his prog band on “Conduit,” the opening instrumental track, with his
band endlessly practicing in pursuit of perfection. But people think
Prog Adam is crazy for loving to spend his precious time practicing prog
music like this. This instrumental: It’s so long! Over five minutes
long and there aren’t even any lyrics yet! The people are criticizing
Prog Adam for his super-proggy instrumental. So, he replies in track
two, telling them there is “Nothing Wrong” with his life. He’s doing
what he wants to do. But just telling the haters to stop it is not
enough. Prog Adam therefore goes in search of spiritual sustenance,
looking for a spiritual “Life-Line” on the next track, as sustenance for
his prog, and finding it. With this spiritual enlightenment attained,
Prog Adam goes back to his band, and then they communicate the spiritual
enlightenment by expressing its lesson in the epic track, “You Have It
All.” Jon Davison even makes a guest appearance on this track, making a
cameo as the voice of the universe that teaches Prog Adam what he needed
to learn, so that he is then able to communicate it with the epic
musical power of “You Have It All” (14:31). End of Part One.
Part Two begins with “Beautiful Light,” with Prog Adam viewing the
universe on a daily basis through the mystical lens he learned about in
Part One. But then, with “Test Tube Universe,” Prog Adam, either back in
his day job as a scientist, or simply by making an analogy on the basis
of considering a scientist in his lab, considers the thought that maybe
the universe is just like an experiment that, although beautiful and
supportive to us (see Part One’s lesson), does not really matter to its
creator. But then in “Flowing Through the Change” (17:25), Prog Adam
makes spiritual contact with the transcendent creative force behind the
universe and taps into its deepest essence: namely, love. This final
spiritual awakening to the fullness of love is foreshadowed with “In the
Night I” and “In the Night II” which are threaded between the earlier
tracks on the album, since “In the Night III” is the second movement
within “Flowing Through the Change,” wherein Prog Adam sees the face of
God, and thereby finds his way to the path of love.
If all this sounds a bit woo to you, what can I say except that, I’m
probably making this all up, or else, if you listen to the music, it
will make you into a believer in prog and love and light, and so on. The
radiant power of the music on this album magically transforms whatever
it comes into contact with. Unless your heart is made of stone. Or,
maybe even then, too; that’s how good this music is.
So, what are you waiting for, Bandcamp Friday? It’s already here! You Have It All has everything you need.
'You Have It All ' is the second
full length studio album from Lobate Scarp. Recorded from August 2021-
March 2022. (Except for "Beautiful Light" and most of "Nothing Wrong").
Mixed and Mastered from March-May 2022
The album features special guests Jon Davison (Yes), Jimmy Keegan
(Spock's Beard, Pattern Seeking Animals), Eric Moore (Suicidal
Tendencies, Infectious Grooves), Ryo Okumoto (Spock's Beard), and Billy
Sherwood (Yes).
credits
released May 6, 2022
New
album by litmus0001. IMBER. Recorded in 2017. Meant to be released
in 2019. Finally released in 2022 by AnubisMusic. Experimental ambient
drone improvisation looping krautrock kosmichemusic post-rock. This is exceptionally good ambient music and an excellent addition to the FreeForm Radio playlist.
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Please support FreeForm Radio and KMXT by going to KMXT.org and pledging your support.
The
music you hear on tonight's show is available on the artists' Bandcamp
pages (links below) and makes a great gift for the holidays as well as
brightening the musicians' holidays.
Not that there is an abundance of progressive
rock-tinged acoustic guitar trios among the ranks, but this aggregation
stands tall among its peers as the guitarists' inventiveness surges
forward with this altogether warmhearted reckoning of Christmas carols
and other pleasantries. The guitarists' nimble yet at times forceful
approach is wholly evident during their highly rhythmic spin on "Jingle
Bells." They perform the classic "Greensleeves" with a sensitive,
chamber-like approach while also tackling the Lennon/Ono
favorite "Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)." However, part of the magic
resides within the trio's ability to delve into the inherent frameworks
of each song, while also reformulating themes and rhythms into
personalized statements. Essentially, the artists have produced a rather
poignant Christmas outing, awash with interweaving lines and lilting
harmonies, as they complement their superior artisanship and
forward-thinking deployments with a cheerfully rendered collection of
holiday favorites.
Comet is the
follow-up to "Winter Solstice" is my second release of ambient versions
of melodies that are associated with Christmas here in Germany. My
intention was to present these melodic cells in a new context. I hope
you enjoy the results.
There
are many things that 'inspire' the music I do, but perhaps one of the
most endearing is Winter. Apart from the usual cliches of
transformation, and the memory echoes from childhood with its
association with Christmas. It's also the way in which, at night, sounds
are strangely muffled, morphed almost and how the landscape glitters
and glows as though we have two full moons.
I guess all that sounds a little pretentious, but as I say, I do have a rather abiding passion for Winter.
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Renowned
touch guitarist Markus Reuter has been one of the stalwarts of the DiN
label, having been there right at the beginning in 1999 with his initial
collaboration (Distant Rituals DiN2) with label founder Ian Boddy.
Since then he has been involved with several other collaborations with
Boddy, as well as with other artists such as Zero Ohms & Bernhard
Wöstheinrich.
Looking to do another collaboration with Boddy, Markus composed several
long soundscape improvisations over the summer of 2020. The duo realised
that with the pandemic they would not be able to physically work
together in the same studio this time, as they had with all their
previous work. Boddy then took these ambient starting points and using
his vintage Roland System 100M modular synthesiser started to arrange,
cut up and shape these into a coherent album. As well as a CD release
this time both artists wanted this music to be presented on vinyl, so
the work was conceived as two long 20 minute suites that would take up
one side of a record each.
Each suite is comprised of three distinct sections that seamlessly segue
into each other. The music feels like a sonic journey, opening with the
grandeur of “Citadel”, before heading off with the rhythmic slice of
electronica that is the second track “Parallels”.
Interlocking sequence lines and modular rhythmic treatments of Reuters
soundscapes propel this piece along overlaid with beautiful guitar parts
soaring overhead. The first suite closes with the title track “Outland”
with a gentle, yet slightly unsettling atmosphere.
The second side opens with “Brood”, a huge claustrophobic track, before
taking a gentle breath before the journey recommences with the beautiful
rhythmic piece “Trails” that once again features Reuters trade mark
liquid guitar solos. Finally all comes to rest with the end of the album
and “Home”. A beautiful pastoral combination of Reuters exquisite
guitar playing and Boddys emotive synth solo using his analogue Ondes
Martenot style keyboard.
Composed to make the most of the vinyl format the fascinating musical
collaboration between Boddy & Reuter continues to produce music of
the highest quality.
Our thanks to Ian Boddy of DiN for providing a promotional copy of this release.
credits
releases April 16, 2021
All tracks composed, programmed and recorded by Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy September - October 2020.
Mixed by Ian Boddy November 2020.
Mastered by Lee Fletcher November 2020.
Ian Boddy
Serge & Eurorack modular systems
Roland System 100-M
Moog Voyager & Matriarch
Analogue Systems French Connection
Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Markus Reuter
Touch Guitars® AU and U8 Custom
Electronics
Looping
Third
volume of the series Drone Islands, "Drone Islands - Stellar" continues
Eighth Tower Records' deep explorations into the realm of "drone
music". The volume mainly focuses on drones inspired by astronomical
events, and were originated through various musical approaches, from the
well established synthesizer sounds and onto orchestral arrangements
sounding like drones; furthermore, it showcases many young and talented
musicians involved in the latest "drone dreamers" wave.
Our thanks to Raffaele Pezzella (Sonologyst) for providing us with a promotional copy of this release.
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