"Mosaic", Roberto Musci's tribute to the Third Ear Band. A short review.

Out on June 17th, 2016, published by Rob Ayling's Gonzo Multimedia, is now available Roberto Musci's tribute to the Third Ear Band. Titled "Mosaic", it consists of twelve tracks composed by Musci and played by himself using various kind of instruments as Plunderphonics, tibetan bells, flute, guitar, synth, hand drums, percussion, organ.

At a very first listening, the album is an amazing surprise because, albeit these are new compositions, the listener 'feel' the old fascinating mood of the band, even if totally renewed and rivisited.

Musci adopted for the album John Oswald's technique of composition and recording based on Plunderphonics, "using samples from their cds, filtered with effects and with “cut and paste technique", I created some songs" (from an interview with Musci).

And thus we have old TEB' tunes reborn at a new life: it's really amazing and beautiful listening to legendary tracks as "Ghetto Raga", "Mosaic", "Air", "Druid One", "Egyptian Book of the Dead" or "The Beach" dressed with a new suit.

The grafts of original TEB single sequences of sound work perfectly in this new texture because they seem rightly coherent and natural in this new soundscape. Not a simply juxtaposition of quotations of music, but as for a film editing  we have here sequences of old and new music totally integrated.
Some compositions are very astonishing: my favourite one is "The Beach", a 5 minutes of sinister, disquieting tune with a funeral cadence after an opening debussyan atmosphere...

Believe me, through the years I've listened to many attempts to tribute and/or compose (music inspired by) the glorious, unique sound of the TEB, but this is the real first time we have an album where Sweeney, Minns, Coff and Smith seem to come back for playing their awesome music again!

ROBERTO MUSCI WEB REFERENCES:
A sampler of the album ("Ghetto Raga") at  https://soundcloud.com/roberto-musci
Musci's personal Web site: http://www.rmusci.com/

OTHER STUFF ABOUT ROBERTO MUSCI IN GHETTORAGA ARCHIVE:
An interview with  Roberto on the Third Ear Band is at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/09/italian-composer-roberto-musci-talks.html
A file where Roberto explains his project is at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/11/italian-avant-garde-composer-roberto.html

 no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)       

Third Ear Band original EMI-Harvest catalogue acquired by Warner Music Group 'for the benefit' of American Indies...

Quite surprisingly few days ago I was contacted by Ken Shipley, supervisor at The Numero Group (www.numerogroup.com), a little label from Chicago, related to the big fish Warner Music Group. 

He wrote me this:

 

"As part of the agreement that allowed WMG to buy Parlophone three years ago, the EU required them to sell off 20% of their assets (http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/global/1549326/warner-music-working-with-impala-merlin-to-sell-parlophone-assets). My company bid to buy several of those assets, which included The Third Ear’s albums Alchemy, S/T, and Music From Macbeth. Per the terms of the agreement, we must get artist approval to make the deal happen.

We are hoping to strike a new arrangement with the band members that would give a higher royalty rate and eliminate nonsense like breakage fees, as well find new opportunities for the band’s songs in TV and Film (alongside a reissue campaign).
I would greatly appreciate your help on this matter.
Best,
Ken Shipley"

I have contacted the old members to ask them how to go ahead with this.
Good news for the glorious old catalogue? New opportunities for the band's compositions on radio/TV/movie circuits? A brand new life for the Third Ear Band's music in the U.S.A.?

 no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)