Frippertronics & Discotronics

• five of these recordings served as the base for the God Save The Queen / Under Heavy Manners
• and six were used for a pure Frippertronics album released in 1981, Let The Power Fall (see below)

God Save The Queen / Under Heavy Manners  

As I previously wrote, this album was pulled from five SOLO improvisations performed LIVE and then split into two parts:

• Frippertronics...three of the pieces, as they were recorded (God Save The Queen) &
• Discotronics...the other two tracks with a rhythm section funking underneath, (Under Heavy Manners). The first track has David Byrne from Talking Heads idiosyncratically (I mean, even more than usual) vocalising an extremely silly set of Fripp lyrics, with almost all words ending in "ism". The second track, The Zero Of The Signified, (a term coined by Semiotics guru Roland Barthes*) has a long Fripp solo mixed over the top as well 

...God Save The Queen/Under Heavy Manners was a favorite of mine while on disc, while a good friend of mine, now probably Australia's most high-profile homeopath (name withheld) claimed that it was the best pot-smoking album he'd ever heard!

Unfortunately, it's presently unavailable on CD...but there is an edited version, compiled with edits from The League Of Gentleman (see directly below). 

The League Of Gentlemen    

The League of Gentleman was a dance orientated experiment, a one-off band...which produced a 77-gig tour and an album that was:

• indeed a dance album...of sorts
• completely instrumental &
• exceedingly odd

Fripp was intent on exploring music "from the waist down", sexual music...but there's very little that's sexy here. Rythmic, yes. Sexy, no.

It's made even less sexy when odd bits and pieces of spoken commentaries by philosopher John G. Bennett pop up every now and then (see Exposure review for who Bennett was).

The project was probably worthwhile for Fripp, in that for a few of the gigs, Adrian Belew's band, Gaga, was the support band. Fripp would later invite him to join the new King Crimson a year later. 

The League Of Gentlemen was an interesting experiment and at the very least, several thousand people probably now remember having a good time...which was probably a first for Robert Fripp!

The League Of Gentlemen: Cognitive Dissonance 

The League Of Gentlemen album, as it was, is also unavailable...but an edited version (I believe, losing the John Bennett bits) is now available a double issue with an edit of God Save The Queen/Under Heavy Manners, which unfortunately loses The Zero Of the Signified, titled, confusingly, God Save The King.

Robert Fripp: God Save The King

"...OK, so it is not the same as the original albums...however the music here is completely astounding. It is new wave music played with Fripp's technical abilities on the guitar..." Amazon reviewer lovblad

Let The Power Fall  

Fripp also released an album of Frippertronics in 1981, Let The Power Fall, culled from Fripp's 1979 publicity tour. It's, well, Frippertronics, perfect for late nights listening with the lights off.

Robert Fripp LIVE

Slightly ominous, often soaring to beautiful heights. It comes with high (but weird) recommendations.

Robert Fripp: Let The Power Fall

"...it should be said that "LTPF" is pretty difficult to classify; it's too loud, rigid and immediate to be described as pure ambient music and too electronic sounding to fit into the classic prog-rock genre..." Amazon reviewer lovblad

Around this time Fripp reconvened King Crimson with former drummer Bill Bruford and two new players...and their new  Discipline album had just been released. You must see the videos to see just how much Fripp and friends were enjoying playing together!

Soundscapes

Fripp updated Frippertronics to digital in 1994, renaming these work Soundscapes, which produced a number of albums, including:

Robert Fripp: Radiophonics

"...If you're curious about Robert's forays into ambient work and Soundscapes, all I can say is: do NOT go for Radiophonics first. This is harsh, jarring, and at times physically irritating on the ears..." Amazon reviewer spiral_mind

"...When restarting his solo career in earnest in 1994, Robert Fripp updated his Frippertronics technique with digital technology - instead of tapes - to create loops of sounds. The cutting-edge textures are oftentimes quite metallic and non-melodic but Fripp is attempting to expand the potential of the electric guitar. And with any laboratory being the stage, there may be pop outs mixed with homers but Fripp delivers in the clutch, which makes the concept a winner..."Amazon reviewer Mr. Richard D. Coreno

Robert Fripp: Love Cannot Bear

"...When I first listened to this album, I was driving in my car and started thinking about death - not in a morbid way, but in that sort of "what happens when you die?" kind of way. This isn't generally something I think about but the music elicited a response for me. To that end, it's rather successful..." Amazon reviewer Michael Stack

"...What is on offer here is perhaps some of the most beautiful, some of the saddest, and some of the most profound music you will ever hear..." Amazon reviewer o dubhthaigh

Robert Fripp: The Gates of Paradise

"...True Story: I went to bed and put this CD on. The next day my roommate told me he had been standing in the kitchen and felt completely disoriented from this sound in his 'head'. It wasn't until he passed by my room that he realized the music was from my stereo. He thought he was having an acid flashback. That's the best way I can describe this sound - it's wonderful and relaxing - like a soundtrack to a space movie. Love it!..." Amazon reviewer marty hillsborough

"...Fripp has finally outdone himself...with this collection of ethereal music. Where before the sounds of guitar were easily distinguished, here they are hidden in magical sound loops that remind one more of synthesized keyboards than a guitar. Recorded in lengthy oversampled sound layers, Fripp presents a sound totally new and unique. It is difficult to describe other than it has layers and depth in it's presentation. It's almost beyond spiritual and never sounds mechanical. This album can be used as relaxing background music or as an incredible meditation source on headphones. It is ambient sound matured..." Amazon reviewerMartin A. Hogan

* Barthes said:

"To repeat excessively is to enter into loss; this we term...the zero of the signified..."

see also:

• Dick Tooley interview with Robert Fripp, 1979
• Transcription of Robert Fripp chat at Frippertronics gig, 1983
• Guitar Player Fripp interview about Guitar Craft, 1986