Nearfest 08 -> Sunday : Radio Massacre International

I thought I'd like Radio Massacre International. A mix of rock and electronic music sounded intriguing. I do love Jean Michael Jarre, Kitaro, and when I'm in the mood ambient. But perhaps, I wasn't in the mood that day. I love sonic exploration, but sometimes I need a composition to latch onto. They started off guitar/bass/drums--so far, so good. Then the drummer and bassist both left to fiddle with their sequencers. And for the most part, that's what the set consisted of--sequencers and guitar meanderings. Even when they had a couple guests, it did not seem to add much. The poor violinist seemed rather lost at times.

I nodded off for a minute here and there. But, at least, I awoke refreshed…

Nearfest->Sunday : Robert Rich

Because of its minimalistic approach, ambient music isn’t really Prog per say--it’s an extract of electronic progressive, a descendent of Prog courtesy of Brian Eno. It ensconces most of the melody and complexity and focuses instead on exploring sonic permutations. Of recent, I’ve picked up some Steve Roach, and when I’m in a certain mood, ambient hits the spot--albeit with a feather hammer.

Californian Robert Rich provided a palate cleanser from the more-is-more-is-more performances. In the midst of a mad-scientist setup, he fiddled with the keyboards, played steel guitar and an electronic wind instrument. Above him, a movie provided a visual accompaniment. Instead of lulling me to sleep, I found myself becoming very engaged and attentive, especially toward the end.