RE: the FOURTH NIGHT: Bernhard Wagners' beautiful new CD reviewed

["Bernhard Wagner LD" <loopdelightml@nosuch.biz>]

Holy Guacamoly, Rick!

Thanks a lot for the flattering review!



Also many thanks to Andy Butler and Matthias Grob without whose support 
none
of this would have happened.

Thanks bunches
Bernhard
http://nosuch.biz/fourthNight

> -----Original Message-----
> From: loop.pool [mailto:looppool@cruzio.com]
> Sent: Donnerstag, 15. Dezember 2005 09:42
> To: LOOPERS DELIGHT (posting); BERNHARD WAGNER
> Subject: the FOURTH NIGHT: Bernhard Wagners' beautiful new CD reviewed
> 
> I had an amazing musical week.................taking in Goth night with
> new
> DJs;  seeing Nine Inch Nails
> rip it up at the Santa Cruz Civic; performing live looping with video
> accompaniement at Gavilan College's New Digital Media Center;
> playing acoustic traditional jazz with really good musicians in Pebble
> Beach.
> 
> The week was full of a huge variety of really excellent music and I 
>rented
> a
> car with a fantastic stereo
>  to get to everything.
> 
> My constant companion on those long drives to and from the gigs was the
> brilliant new CD by Bernhard Wagner,
> the talented guitarist from Zurich, Switzerland.
> 
> After listening to all that music....................going out
> clubbing............seeing NIN rage at the Civic,  I cannot
> get the title track to "The Fourth Night" out of my head.    It's as
> compelling a piece of music as I've heard
> in a good long while and it really attests to the excellence of this 
>first
> output by Bernhard that it sticks in
> my head so much.
> 
> I've seen Bernhard play a few times now and so it was a pleasant surprise
> to
> hear him sing on (only ) the title track.
> He has a really nice voice and I truly hope he continues to sing on
> subsequent outings.  I can't say enough good things
> about this1st track.  I simply love it.
> 
> "The Fourth Night" is also a perfect late night driving home
> CD...................and by the time you are completely lulled by
> the minor scales and the polyrhythmic interplay of long fading delay 
>lines
> that make the record so trippy and delicious
> Bernhard will suddenly change up and bring really fascinating and
> challenging new music timbres into the mix.
> 
> This is my kind of late night listening.................there are 
>definite
> ambient qualities to the music but it is constantly morphing
> into new and unheard territory.
> 
> In the center suite of tunes that run from track 3 through
> 6.............it
> is not until several minutes into the fifth track that the guitar
> tones suddenly add distortions and then takes a sudden left turn with
> glitchy replacements of the original piece.
> The tracks have individual names here but these three piece really read 
>as
> one long piece.
> 
> Track 7, "Le Menhir"  takes the most chances on the record and is one of
> my
> favorite pieces.   Bernhard's use of the
> replacement functions in the Gibson EDP is really exquisite on this 
>piece.
> Challenging the ear of the listener but never
> completely alienating nor losing site of the melody and mood of the 
>piece.
> It's really a great track.
> 
> Track 8,  "La Lueur"  hits a loop at around 8 minutes that is what Peter
> Gabriel should be including in his most recent outputs
> (instead of what he is).................This loop would make a fantastic
> pop
> song if developed along those lines.................or maybe
> Gabriel should just hire Bernhard Wagner to play in his band.  It would 
>be
> a
> fitting place for this expansive and talented guitarist.
> 
> That's another thing I love about this recording:   There are constantly
> times where I could hear really good pop songs coming from loops or
> passages
> that he plays and yet the CD is not a pop record in the slightest.
> 
> Right at the end of the record on Track 9, "Math Town"  it suddenly
> changes
> up and gets the most funky and almost dance oriented that the whole 
>record
> has to offer.    It's cool piece and as a drummer, I was itching to lay
> down
> some fat groove over it.
> 
> Bernhard finishes off the CD with a brief reprise of the wonderful title
> track....................playing the CD on continuous play I went through
> the whole thing twice a couple of times and it just all flowed perfectly.
> 
> What's wonderful about this record is that at several points it hints at
> being a different project.................ambient,  experimental, pop,
> funk............and yet,  it all remains a cohesive whole.  It is really
> rhythmic and yet, there isn't a drum set to be heard on the whole thing.
> 
> It's really an impressive first outing and I can't wait to hear what
> Bernhard Wagner has up his sleeve for his next CD.
> 
> Go out and buy this CD for yourself or a loved one for Christmas.  You'll
> be
> glad you did.
> 
> Rick Walker
> loop.pool