Paul Dresher - This Same Temple (1996 compi, rec. 1981-85)

Great overview of some of Paul Dresher's earliest works, as compiled by Lovely Music.  Like Dark Blue Circumstance and Casa Vecchia, Dresher's take on Fripp/Pinhas/Gottsching guitartronics is represented, this time by Liquid And Stellar Music.  This stunning 20-minute track, which opens proceedings here, evolves from ambient drift to echo-delay tour de force, and was originally released on Dresher's debut cassette release in 1981.

Next up is Destiny, a brief dance commission from 1983.  Dresher on guitar is accompanied by a drummer, and it's a very nice polyrhythmic oddity that sounds closer to Talking Heads or even the then-new King Crimson sound than anything else I've heard Dresher do so far.  Water Dreams, an electroacoustic/radiophonic piece from 1985 follows, constructed from rain sounds and other field recordings in a similar way to Other Fire from the Casa Vecchia disc.  Lastly, This Same Temple is one of Dresher's first ever compositions from 1977, a piano duet that he admits had a significant Steve Reich influence.  A different version of it originally appeared on the aforementioned cassette release in 1981.

link
pw: sgtg

Paul Dresher - Casa Vecchia (1995)

Another Dresher collection, to follow on from his Dark Blue Circumstance disc a little while ago.  This one released by the Starkland label flips the focus of Circumstance, featuring just one work for string instruments; the three that precede it are all gorgeous, shimmering ambient drones.

Opening the album is Underground, a dance commission from 1982.  All the sounds are produced on an early Casio keyboard, fed into an equaliser and tape loop system.  The only downside of this beautiful piece is that it's only 8 minutes long - I'd quite happily listen to half an hour of it.  Other Fire (1984) that follows is a Fourth World-esque synthesis of field recordings made by Dresher in various travels across South/South East Asia a few years prior.  For this radiophonic commission, Dresher mixed his tapes using a harmonzier, EQ and the same tape loop system as Underground to great effect.

The tracks get progressively longer as the album goes on, giving Dresher's engrossing sound worlds more room to breathe.  After 11 minutes of Other Fire comes 16 minutes of Mirrors (1988-91), commissioned by bassist Robert Black.  Black performs it on double bass, electric upright bass and bass guitar, with electronic processing.  The haunting ambient drift at its outset eventually becomes a rhythmic delay tour de force that fans of Pinhas/Göttsching will absolutely love.  The title track closes the album in a string quartet that Dresher originally wrote for Kronos Quartet in 1982; this arrangement for double-quartet was the idea of Yuki Morimoto, whose Ensemble 9 group perform it here.  It's essential listening in the Adams/Reich vein, and the perfect ending to a hugely recommended collection.

link
pw: sgtg

Paul Dresher - Dark Blue Circumstance (1993 compi, rec. 1983-92)

A collection of some key early works by Paul Dresher (b. 1951, Los Angeles).  It was actually that gorgeous cover image that first drew me to this one - photographer's website here - and the music is equally lovely.  The title piece is the odd one out here, and represents the side of Dresher that liked to experiment with electronics & tape loops.  It's a solo electric guitar piece developed between 1982-87, and offers Dresher's take on Frippertronics - not the most original idea, but the overlapping layers are well structured and sound absolutely beautiful as the piece builds.

Everything else on the album is scored for orchestral instruments, and in one case voices.  Firstly, Double Ikat (1988-90) takes its name from the South East Asian style of weaving, and started life as a dance commission.  The violin, piano and percussion dart around each other in the uptempo movement, then create a haunting atmosphere in the (mostly) slow movement.  The latter reminded me of Morton Feldman in places, although Dresher credits Lou Harrison, who I've still to get into, with the inspiration.

Channels Passing is another choreographical commission, for small ensemble, that will appeal to fans of late 70s Steve Reich.  Lastly, Night Songs (1979-81) for soprano, two tenors and six instruments is the longest work here at 28 minutes.  In four sections, it takes fragements of Native American/African/Polynesian verse and allows the singers to free-associate the words, effectively turning them into dream imagery as the instrumental backing alternately pulses and ripples along. On the evidence of this collection, I'll be on the lookout for more Dresher albums - highly recommended.

link
pw: sgtg