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Paris Transatlantic Magazine

Fred Frith

THE HAPPY END PROBLEM
Fred Records/ReR

Fred Frith's long-time collaboration with choreographer Amanda Miller is the basis of The Happy End Problem. Consisting of two separate soundtracks − "Imitation" and the title track − the music manifests its beauty from the opening of "Ukon" (the first part of "Imitation"), where gorgeous intersecting arpeggios flow into suspended chords of rare emotional intensity. The music benefits enormously from the stunning performances of all the players involved: particular mention should be made of the truly awesome Carla Kihlstedt on violin, whose graciously incisive phrasing perfectly defines the borders between dance, dream and conscious intention in this magic symmetry of notes and space. The other important voice in "Imitation" is shakuhachi-player Kikutsubo Day, whose bent whispers add both East-Asian and Gaelic flavours to the piece's many influences, even if it remains pure Frith in its essence. "The Happy End Problem" is a 21-minute track that uses snippets of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite to build tensions and repetitions in an otherwise calm setting, enhanced by environmental recordings and additional pancultural references. Kihlstedt executes her parts flawlessly, while Frith's contributions on bass, guitar and laptop are more elusive. My soul undergoes a meltdown about 15 minutes into the track, when Wu Fei's delicate gu zheng figures remind us of the frailty of purpose amidst the often overwhelming forces of life.. one of the most touching sections of what Chris Cutler rightly calls an instant classic. Paris Transatlantic Magazine - April 2007

Shan Qi