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Sunday, 8 December 2002
Crater (Electron Salon 4) ::
Saturday night I saw Crater at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz, as part of ELSAproductions’ Electron Salon 4.
It was improvised electronic music at its best, each player really *listening* and aware of how he was contributing to the whole, knowing when to step out front and when to stop. They cohesively improvised a series of structures, with varied forms and dynamics, sustaining interest for a continuous set lasting almost 90 minutes. Drummer and bandleader Scott Amendola played with impeccable time and taste, conducting seamless transitions from ambient textures to hard-driving grooves. Guitarist Nels Cline displayed remarkable chops while never lapsing into cliche. One technique he used especially effectively was to rhythmically slice up and extend loops on the fly by toggling the record switch on his effect. One serpentine solo with a filtered tone was stunningly tasteful. jhno’s computer-synthesized ambiences, sometimes prominent, sometimes buried in the group’s swirling textural soup, often served as the glue holding everything together.
Carole Kim’s video accompaniment was beautifully done, improvised live in the same spirit as the music, mixing computer-played video with live videography.
References:
"Is This the America I Love?" ( 7 December 2002)
Seeing T (10 December 2002)
| << "Is This the America I Love?" | 2002 > December | Finished "Baudalino" >> |