The Wine of Silence

by David Singleton, Robert Fripp, Metropole Orkest, Andrew Keeling, Jan Stulen

Overview

The unique contents of this release are hard to divine from the cover, which lists three contributors: British progressive rock guitarist Robert Fripp, his longtime producer David Singleton, and composer Andrew Keeling. Together they accomplish something that has been done in parts before, but never in toto. The genesis of the work begins with Fripp's Frippertronics, improvisations that made extensive use of tape loops to build larger structures. These evolved into what Fripp called Soundscapes, which used digital electronics to replace and expand upon the tape component. This album is based on Fripp's Soundscapes, which have been subject to two further steps. First, Singleton, with Keeling's help, scored them for orchestra. This kind of thing -- scoring classical-influenced rock improvisations for orchestral instruments -- has been done by the New York ensemble Bang on a Can and other groups, although not precisely with the effect Fripp and company accomplish here. The second step is more novel: the orchestral (and in two cases choral-orchestral) pieces are then subjected once again to electronic manipulations, many of which seem to divide the forces spatially. What's the overall effect? The group of pieces as a whole is quasi-sacred, and all the overlapping textures build and recede quietly in a manner a bit reminiscent of the music of Arvo Paert. If you like the Eastern European minimalists, you'll probably like this recording; if not, you may find it a bit ponderous, with too many undifferentiated events happening at once. But even those at the negative reaction extremes will find a good deal of interest in the possibilities this unique concept opens up.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/22/2012
Label:	Discipline / Discipline Global Music / Inner Knot / Panegyric
UPC:	0633367110220

Tracks

1. Pie Jesu
2. Midnight Blue
3. Black Light
4. Miserere Mei
5. Requiescat
6. Pie Jesu

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Metropole Orkest   Primary Artist,Orchestra
David Singleton   Primary Artist
Robert Fripp   Primary Artist
Andrew Keeling   Primary Artist
Jan Stulen   Primary Artist,Conductor
Koor Nieuwe Muziek   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Gert de Bruijn   Mixing,Engineer
Henk Schepers   Orchestra Manager
Theus De Ruig   Librarian
Sophie Koopmans   Production Manager
Ad Van Der Koog   Production Manager
Bart Daatselaar   Assistant Engineer
Jim Marsden   Photography
Matthieu De Winkel   Assistant Engineer
Simon Heyworth   Mastering
Bert Lams   Photography,Transcription
David Singleton   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Revision,Treatments,Liner Notes,Mixing Consultant
Robert Fripp   Composer,Producer,Mastering
Gert-Jan Blom   Mixing Consultant,Recording Producer
Andrew Keeling   Arranger,Composer,Liner Notes
Dirk Overeem   Assistant Engineer
John Sinks   Photography
Gert Jan van den Dolder   Music Supervisor
John Miller   Cover Painting
Per Van Der Zande   Assistant Engineer
Hugh O'Donnell   Design,Artwork