Despite the shoes

You might be forgiven for having a few reservations towards Richard Barbieri - what with Japan being somewhat dubious, in both their glam rock & preen pop phases, & his Porcupine Tree stuff being dull. Moreover, I once saw him perform in possibly the dodgiest pair of shoes ever cobbled.

But there's definitely more to the man. For one thing, he's often played with The Bays - the non-recording, non-rehearsing, improvising electronica quartet billed here previously (before it got too embarrassing to be this pompous...) as 'the most important band in the world'. 

Most recently, he was part of most of last month's high-stakes live collaboration with The Heritage Orchestra (covered by LMYE here). 

For another, he's made some good stuff solo & in collaboration with fellow Japan alumni Mick Karn & Steve Jansen. Check out stately, scratchy Drops of Mercury from his first solo album, Things Buried (buy here) - which features the mighty Bays drummer Andy Gangadeen & legendary bassist Percy Jones. 

TB's squelchy, frantic Light on Glass is also a giveaway, by the way. 

Never before, never again

Having frothed up more hyperbole here about The Bays than any other artist, arguably (this & this, for example), LMYE was fairly invested in their recent classical collaborations. Happily, despite the vast scope for it to degenerate into toss with strings, adding most of an orchestra to the live-improvisation, 'music at the moment of its creation' project only cranked its bravado & wonder even higher.

The combined band isn't as nimble as the quartet, of course. But with a pair of string & wind composers writing a stream of fresh music that gets sent instantly to the classical players' screens (Wagamama, please try to keep up...) in a real-time response to The Bays' bleeps & beats & a brilliantly nonchalant conductor holding it all together, the juggernaut somehow pulls it off.

Proof? Try a storming extract from this event, which featured both the Heritage Orchestra & Norway's BIT20 Ensemble, as well as grand-standing pianist Neil Cowley: Integra 2008 (LMYE hack) [longer, lower-res version here; full performance here].

Video of the first Bays classical mash-up:

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Music at the moment of its creation

"You're hearing music at the moment of its creation."

Embarrassing admissions of pomposity dept: though it's been a while & I try to keep the impulse in check, I've been known to claim that The Bays are 'the most important band in the world'.

Why? Notwithstanding the absurd grandiosity, there's good reasons. They're doing something fairly unique, live improvised electronica, with huge integrity: they only play live, they never rehearse, they never play the same song twice (though over the years the odd sample has cropped up again from time to time), & they don't release records & have no product to sell ('Performance is the Product') - giving their music away via the internet instead.

Sounds precious & a bit pretentious? On the contrary. It probably helps dispel that notion that their rich, spacey instrumentals are underpinned by the most relentlessly physical drum & bass.

The Bays are also constant, self-challenging collaborators - with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Richard Barbieri to Medeski Martin & Wood to gifted amateurs to drum 'n' bass dons to, most recently & amazingly, the Heritage Orchestra.

Unlike many Bay fans, I suspect, I like them best in their slow & moody mode. Here's a fine example from a 2005 set & here's another from 2003 (here & here in higher quality via zShare). & here's an inspirational manifesto (stay with it past the first minute of credits...).

Anyway, things have been quite in Bayville lately. But tonight they unveiled a new first - a compilation of inspired moments, spliced together by Bay Simon Palmskin. It's here for download or listening.

If you appreciate it & the rest of their music, consider donating via BayPal :-)

Bays goods: MySpace/Wiki/Discogs/inspirational 2002 Peel session/BBC interview (with tracks)/British Council profile (with more tracks)/admirer mix (page down)...

NB: photos by honorary Bay Tom Oldham.

About The Bays

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The Bays vs The Heritage Orchestra

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