a r t i s t : Janet Feder & Fred Frith
t i t l e : Ironic Universe
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : ad hoc
g e n r e : Avantgarde
r l s. d a t e : Feb/2010
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 47,4 MB
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On these disks, Denver-based acoustic guitarist Janet Feder
furthers her exploration on the instrument, and teams up with
another of the world's most respected guitarists, Mr. Fred
Frith. A whole gamut of strange techniques, musical
strategies, beautiful tunings and ambiences are employed; The
outcome is sure bliss for fans of modern, instrumental music.
Part avant-garde, part classical, part folk, in fairly equal
proportions, this approach has never before been attempted
with such striking success. The DVD portion is separated into
2 segments: Janet's videos were beautifully shot and edited by
Hollywood film-maker David Quint, in a professional studio as
she played live. Each track is presented in a different
setting to embellish the diverse performances. Fred's video is
one, longish improvised session from a recent concert in
Boulder, Colorado, also professionally filmed and edited by
Quint. Fred abandoned his electric guitar in lieu of his
Taylor acoustic for the event, bringing his playing into a new
realm, while still managing to put his many toys (bowls,
chains, brushes, dowls etc.) to good use.
(www.adhocrecords.com)
Janet Feder and eminent guitarist/improviser Fred Frith
perform twelve duet pieces on audio disc one of Ironic
Universe as vacillating undercurrents, utilizing atypical
tonal contrasts and implementations such as tapping sounds.
With folk-ish overtones and similarities to the late John
Fahey's complex chord phrasings, the duo also intertwines
avant frameworks into this congenial set. At times it seems
that the artists are using some sort of mic-generated
processing techniques to produce reverberant effects and
chord-based strings swashes. Nonetheless, there are some truly
fascinating passages throughout.
The companion DVD offers a solo live performance by Feder,
filmed at a Denver, Colorado location where she communicates
ingenuity and wit by snapping a metal clip on her acoustic
guitar strings to obtain a regenerating harmonic plane. The
three Feder-rendered works are interspersed by shots of a
fishbowl, flames and someone scribbling notes, adding a trippy
accent to her often mind-bending performances. The film also
includes footage of Frith and Feder performing live.
In addition, the video captures Frith's 2004 Boulder, Colorado
solo performance. He literally pulls out the stops during an
extended piece by inserting chopsticks in two strategically
located areas on his fretboard. The guitarist surges onward by
rhythmically shaking his acoustic guitarùmuch to the
audience's delight. Frith also wets his finger tips to
alternate strumming/picking duties by sliding the top of his
finger on the upper area of his guitar body to induce a
harrowing effect. Organic, unorthodox and at times
unimaginable, his approach here extends the possibilities of
the guitar. They don't teach this is stuff in school, folks.
Frith's solo performance in particular adds credence to his
stature as one of the great improvisers of our time.
(www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=24487)
*** if you wanna see the video, go buy the original!
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01-Opening [04:26]
02-Heart Beat Faster [04:20]
03-Torn [00:54]
04-Short Story [03:18]
05-See You On The Beach [01:12]
06-Loose Slots [03:23]
07-Six Of One [01:17]
08-Cricket [04:09]
09-Hover [02:11]
10-Waking The Day [03:08]
11-Blue State [03:39]
12-Closing [06:04]
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38:01 min