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Brad Shepik / Ron Samworth: Quartet 1991
ByHearing the archeological narrative behind this release is almost as compelling as the music itself. After all those years, Reif finally went all in to see if this could happen. He went back to the original tapes, had them baked and transferred to high-res digital, and discovered that the needed isolation between amps and instruments was, in fact, there. Then Reif and engineer Erik Nielsen got down to the business of working and editing with Protools to fix and uncover what was truly in the mix. The story finally finishes where it should've ended in the first place: with the arrival of Quartet 1991.
This bracing, time traveling set of music is every bit as dynamic as one might expect given the participants Shepik, Samworth, bassist Phil Sparks, and drummer Michael Sarin. Sounds swirl, tones waft, instruments prod, and this quartet demonstrates that discursive displays and focused findings are of equal importance in the art of life and the life of art. Sensitivity can sometimes be found in the interplay between these four ("Song Of Then"), but there's also a love of the lewd, an embrace of the skronky, and a passion for playfulness in these encounters. This is a crew that appreciates and investigates everything from the avant-folk and blues of Ornette Coleman ("Rambin'") to the nocturnal fever dreams of Robin Holcomb ("Nightbirds"), adding both into a winning portfolio that includes original music built on prickly sway and waltzing allure ("Bent House"), sounds of dystopia and myopia ("Confluenza"), and a general love for the marriage between the beautiful and the unnerving. This one was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait.
Track Listing
Confluenza; Terrestrials; Bent House; Circa; Nightbirds; PLAW; Ramblin'; Way In; Song Of Then.
Personnel
Brad Shepik
guitarBrad Shepik: electric guitar; Ron Samworth: electric guitar; Phil Sparks: bass; Michael Sarin: drums.
Album information
Title: Quartet 1991 | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Songlines Recordings
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Brad Shepik / Ron Samworth
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Songlines Recordings
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Quartet 1991
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