Each of the two CDs in the double disc set EMISSARIES by
Radio Massacre Int'l, presents a distinctive facet of this
interesting trio of English Spacemusicians. Disc 1: "The
Emissaries Suite" (59'58") is essentially a studio album. While
the music on this disc feels more arranged and composed than
the group's live concert albums, RMI's freewheeling style is ever
present. The pieces unfold, expand and recede as if in a
rehearsed jam session rather than a clinical/critical studio
project. The keystone supporting this music is Duncan
Goddard's sequencer patterns. Multiple sets of cycling
synthesizer tones dance, hop and echo through minor key
scales, running full-tilt like a runaway train. Goddard's efforts to
keep this affair on the tracks are supported by Steve Dinsdale
and the harmonic and melodic pads and solos he creates out of
vintage Mellotron strings, flutes, choirs and horns, and the
blue-eyed soul of guitarist Gary Houghton's poignant leads and
imaginative effects. Disc 2: "Ancillary Blooms" (76'26") is a live
album recorded on the 05.09.04 broadcast of STAR'S END. The
two one hour sets were edited down so as to fit on this CD, and
flow along a subtle arc suitable for late-night listening. Within
this setting the trio tend to explore areas of texture and mood and
the sonic inventions seem more discovered than composed.
The ensuing musical themes grew out of an improvisational
interaction that could not have been planned, nor repeated. To
their credit, RMI use their instincts very well when it comes to
playing music under these conditions. With very little in the way
of direct communication, they produce complex atmospheric
realizations. Perhaps their most significant insight lies not in this
music's technology, but in understanding that it exists over time
and that each live performance is an opportunity to participate in
a singular and completely unique experience.

Tune in to STAR'S END this weekend for music from
EMISSARIES by Radio Massacre Int'l

For more on EMISSARIES, access:
http://www.cuneiformrecords.com

For more on Radio Massacre Int'l, including photos from their
STAR'S END on-air concerts, access the STAR'S END Profile:
http://www.starsend.org/rmi.html

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STAR'S END broadcasts every Saturday night/Sunday morning
from 1am-6am (EDST) on:

88.5fm WXPN Philadelphia, PA
88.1fm WXPH Harrisburg, PA
90.5fm Worton/Baltimore, MD
104.9fm Allentown, PA

and live on the web...

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Chuck van Zyl
Host of STAR'S END Ambient Radio
http://www.starsend.org