RICHARD BONE & JOHN ORSI
"A Survey of Remembered Things"
(Quirkworks 08) cd 1997

A composer always on the move, Richard Bone and guest musician / composer John Orsi blend rhythmic and atmospheric percussives with innovative samples and subtle electronics. Its like a totally spaced out meeting of Brian Eno's ambient works, Stephan Micus, Jorge Reyes and the ethno-trance of Muslim Gauze.

"A Survey of Remembered Things" can capture the mystery of watery depths, deserted lands, a cloudy sky, or an ancient ritual. It is true picture music with great depth and always stimulating. The album is composed of two "post-ambient" suites by each artist. Primal beats of the first movement, " Chango" by Richard Bone's "Seashore of Another World" set the mood for a journey through the realms of human consciousness. As with other recent work, Richard is as comfortable as ever with blending a subtle mix of electronic textures, voice, and ethnic influences, particularly percussion. The climax which is the fifth part of this suite , "Evaporata" is full of inventive technique, exploring a lot of new ground from a musician willing to try new ideas.

John Orsi composed the suite called "Shiftworkers Confused by Rain", a musical dialog spanning 15 minutes comprised of 4 short pieces. The way the percussion works rhythmically counterpoint to the keyboards and use of effects is exceptional. Frank Rossbach joins John on "In a Toy Room" with some very tasteful fretless bass."Broken Ballet" is an exceptional familiar and excitedly abstract at the same time. Kevin Brenneman adds a wonderful solo on this piece.

It's an interesting collaboration for both musicians and it will be interesting to hear another collaboration as both composers seem to compliment each other with impeccable style. I recommend you to give this cd a listen, and discover for yourself the accessibility and depth it contains. To hear a 700k audio excerpt of Richard's music, click HERE.