Fade
Rick Cox
Rick Cox-electric guitar
Thomas Freeman - bass, signal processors
If ECM is “the most beautiful sound next to silence” then Cold Blue, which has ECM DNA (but which isn’t jazz and not quite ECM New Series) is maybe the most austere sound next to silence. This cd single by Cox starts with floating, enshrouding electronics that almost makes you feel as if you’re leaving this world behind. That isn’t necessarily a good feeling but it’s certainly an intriguing one. One thinks of Tibetan bardo, exile-even death-but none of those states quite gets at what’s happening here. Think of Eno’s 70’s and 80’s slow-moving bits but think more substance and richness. If this sounds snooze-worthy, it’s not by a long shot. Actually, it’s oddly comforting, a place where the worst has already happened and a resounding calm has set in. I recommend it without hesitation.
Cold Blue
CB 0020
Richard Grooms