Category Archives: Pat Mastelotto

Unquiet Music Ltd New Concept Album “MEMEmusic” Feat. Members of King Crimson, Lifesigns, Stick Men, Earthdiver, Yang and Others Now Available For Pre-order

For Immediate Release

Unquiet Music Ltd New Concept Album “MEMEmusic” Feat. Members of King Crimson, Lifesigns, Stick Men, Earthdiver, Yang and Others Now Available For Pre-order

To be released on 3 February 2023 – Pre-order from 18 January 2023

Unquiet Music Ltd releases a new concept album titled “MEMEmusic” and features Jon Poole of Lifesigns, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto of King Crimson, Markus Reuter of Stick Men, Adrian Benavides of Earthdiver, Frédéric L’Epée of Yang among others.

A pretty ‘out there’ album I played bass on earlier this year.” – Jon Poole

Things that manage to reconcile my need to hear new things without losing my deepest roots” – Mixed by Stefano Castagna

Warning: Save your psyche and stay away from this highly disorienting sequence of nerve-rewiring pieces.” – Trey Gunn (King Crimson, David Sylvian) 

On February 3, 2023, ambitious multi-form music project Unquiet Music Ltd issues its second official album “MEMEmusic” on CD and download (via Bandcamp). The album is composed by JP Rossi, and produced by Markus Reuter (Stick Men, Reuter/Motzer/Grohowski, Anchor & Burden), crossing multiple boundaries between the electronic and the acoustic, between complexity and simplicity, between deep contemporary classical structures and textures and punchy art rock drive.

The first Unquiet Music Ltd album, 2020’s “In the Name of… (A Prayer for Our Times)” was an exploration of verticality and the arrow of time throughout a man’s life, or through mankind’s history. While in some respects “MEMEMusic” does act as a continuation of its predecessor, both in ideas and concept, it features a different approach and theme. Whereas “In the Name of…” was vertical, “MEMEmusic” is, in comparison, rather horizontal; and deals predominantly with communication and the notion of the individual. Reflecting on human interaction, and on how this has changed due to significant global changes and challenges over the past three years, it is firmly music for its time. The musical journey is divided in two parts, with the first half of the album being more industrial and electronic while the second turns towards live acoustic performances and to romantic and entertaining songs.

The central theme of “MEMEmusic” is the re-discovery of language – not the only tool with which we can connect to other people, but obviously one of the best – and to realize we are unique individuals precisely because differences exist. At the same time this profound but simple idea is delivered predominantly via music, which allows the listener to wander into their own universe without the weight of any message if they so wish. The cover and booklet also reflect the welcoming of diversity with their collaged images from photographs and paintings, plus AI techniques generated by Swiss multi-media artist Tobias Reber and comic book drawings and characters created by Denis Rodier (Marvel, DC, Milestone Media).

More accessible and reflective than “In the Name of…”, much of MEMEmusic is a conceptual effort based around instrumentals and some striking one-man choral composition. However, the album also diversifies from previous work in containing several stand-alone songs. These blend Rossi’s complex contemporary classical inspirations (fiercely building on and developing inspirations from Dmitri Shostakovich, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, and incorporating large-form ambient pieces and mediaeval-esque hocketing work) with influences from the boundary-crossing, thought-provoking art rock of David Bowie, King Crimson, David Sylvian and Stick Men. Also drifting through the mix are Cuban strings and trumpet, plus frequent and loving references to the languages and expression of the jazz tradition, with the spirits of Billie Holliday, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald and Nelson Riddle finding their way into the string arrangements and some of the vocals. (See if you can also spot visitations from certain beloved jazz standards, adding their presence to the stew…)

While based around Rossi’s own vocal, keyboard and electronics work, “MEMEmusic” benefits from the participation of many talented international musicians. Continuing their work with the project alongside Rossi and Reuter are Frédéric L’Épée (Yang, Shylock, Philharmonie), Samira Brahmia, Raphaël Terreau, Khliff Miziallaoua, while the new album also welcomes fresh Unquiet Music contributors Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson), Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Stick Men), Jon Poole (Cardiacs, Lifesigns, The Dowling Poole and The Wildhearts), Adrian Benavides (Earthdiver), Troy Jones and Thommy Lowry.

Video presentation of the album here: https://youtu.be/6pPNB1JEqoE

Album tracks:

1. Meme 09:16
Words: JP Rossi, Georges Bataille. Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices: JP Rossi, Raphaël Terreau. Bass Key, Organ Synth, Soundscapes: JP Rossi. Voice & Bass Processing: Adrian Benavides
Music video: https://youtu.be/grzVu50Bla4
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/ucam0GgdDpA

2. I Succumb 07:24
Words, Music: JP Rossi. Arrangements: JP Rossi, Adrian Benavides
Voices, Keys & Electronics: JP Rossi. Guitars: Adrian Benavides. U8 Touch Guitars ®: Markus Reuter. Electronic Drums, Traps & Buttons: Pat Mastelotto
Music video: https://youtu.be/9AtiO8iBi-E
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/_z7vQOAOxo4

3. Towards The Edge 09:37
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices: JP Rossi, Raphaël Terreau, Khliff Miziallaoua. Keys & Electronics, Handclaps: JP Rossi. Guitars: Khliff Miziallaoua. U8 Touch Guitars ®: Markus Reuter. Bass: Jon Poole. Drums: Troy Jones
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/_6suGPuNiwo

4. Lament 09:35
Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices (Diphonic): Raphaël Terreau. Voices Looping: JP Rossi.
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/_6suGPuNiwo

5. Commuting Communion 08:56
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices: JP Rossi, Samira Brahmia. Guitars: Frédéric L’Épée. Keys & Electronics: JP Rossi. U8 Touch Guitars ®: Markus Reuter. Bass: Jon Poole. Drums: Troy Jones
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/mR4ZfgnDqiU

6. Sometimes Love 09:52
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi. Strings Direction: Thommy Lowry
Voice, Keys, Soundscapes: JP Rossi. Violin: Amelia Febles Díaz, Lisbet Sevilla Brizuela, Camila Martel Pérez. Viola: Lizbet Sevilla Brizuela. Cello: Annette Antunez Guevara. Double Bass: Lino Piquero Bueno
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/Gy8GErfR4bA

7. I Do Remember The Feeling 09:41
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices : JP Rossi, Samira Brahmia, Raphaël Terreau, Khliff Miziallaoua. Trumpets: Thommy Lowry. Violin: Amelia Febles Díaz, Lisbet Sevilla Brizuela. Viola: Lizbet Sevilla Brizuela. Cello: Annette Antunez Guevara. Double Bass: Lino Piquero Bueno. Keys & Electronics: JP Rossi. Bass: Jon Poole. Drums: Troy Jones
Music video: https://youtu.be/ypFlcHNo5-w

8. Nemo Point 06:22
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices : Samira Brahmia, JP Rossi, Raphaël Terreau. Keys, Electronics, Soundscapes: JP Rossi. Stick, Upright Electric Bass: Tony Levin. Drums: Troy Jones
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/wKUxQUA34fE

9. Music (Is The Way Out) 03:35
Words, Music & Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices : JP Rossi, Raphaël Terreau, Khliff Miziallaoua, Samira Brahmia. Fretless Bass: Jon Poole. Organ Synth: JP Rossi.
Song presentation video: https://youtu.be/HPwwOYwzbyM

Recorded at La Maison Rouge and musicians’ studios 2020-2022
Strings on “Sometimes Love”, “Strings Of Love”, “I Do Remember The Feeling”, and Trumpet on “I Do Remember The Feeling” recorded at studios DBega, La Havana, Cuba

Mixed at Studio Ritmo & Blu, Italy, by Stefano Castagna *
* Except “I Succumb” mixed in Austin, Texas, by Adrian Benavides
“I Succumb” stems mixing by Stefano Castagna
Strings of “Sometimes Love” pre-mixed by Khliff Miziallaoua

Mastered by Lee Fletcher
Produced by Markus Reuter for Unquiet Music Ltd

Digital collages based on images by Tobias Reber, Denis Rodier, JP Rossi

“I Succumb” and “Sometimes Love” use samples from freetousesounds
https://www.freetousesounds.com/

“Commuting Communion” and “Sometimes Love” use samples from “Flinch” by TUNER – with kind permission
https://multitrack.bandcamp.com/album/flinch-multitrack-session

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnquietMusicLtd/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@unquietmusicltd8294/videos
Instagram @Unquietmusicltd
Bandcamp: https://unquietmusicltd.bandcamp.com/album/mememusic

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: +1 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com


UNQUIET MUSIC LTD To Release New Single “I Succumb” Feat. Members of King Crimson, Lifesigns, Stick Men and Earthdriver On November 30th!

For Immediate Release

UNQUIET MUSIC LTD To Release New Single “I Succumb” Feat. Members of King Crimson, Lifesigns, Stick Men and Earthdriver On December 2nd!

From forthcoming album “Meme/Music” Featuring Pat Mastelotto (Stick Men, King Crimson), Jon Poole (Cardiacs, Lifesigns), Markus Reuter (Stick Men), Adrian Benavidès (Earthdiver)

On December 2, 2022 Unquiet Music Ltd. release their new single, “I Succumb” – the first taste of their second album ‘Meme/Music’.

With instrumental contributions from Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Stick Men), Jon Poole (Cardiacs, Lifesigns, Dowling Poole) Markus Reuter (Stick Men) and Adrian Benavidès (Earthdiver), “I Succumb” is a song of despair to the life of the average Westerner. Enslaved by normality; condemned to capitulate to the injunction of love. Mind and body torn between the desires of individuality and undifferentiation.

The single announces Unquiet Music Ltd second official album “Meme/Music” on CD and download (via Bandcamp). The album is composed by JP Rossi, and produced by Markus Reuter (Stick Men, Reuter/Motzer/Grohowski, Anchor & Burden), crossing multiple boundaries between the electronic and the acoustic, between complexity and simplicity, between deep contemporary classical structures and textures and punchy art rock drive.

A song of despair to the westerner’s life enslaved by normality and condemned to succumb to the injunction of love. A mind and body torn between the desires of individuality and indifferentiation”

Bass beats and electronic noises of the multigrid dimensions of the city and the network clashing in a routine of pressure. Hammering guitars and gut-wrenching solos surround a couple of heartbreaking melodic choruses.”

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/9AtiO8iBi-E

Unquiet Music Ltd’s 2020 debut album, “In the Name of.. (A Prayer for our Times)”, was an arresting and hypnotic mix of contemporary classical structures, urgent solo and choral voices, and electric art-rock sonority. An abstracted electronic Mass, it merged Messaien-ic detail and depth with needle-like mechanistic precision and a hallucinatory atmosphere. Two years on, “I Succumb” illustrates the next step for Unquiet Music: avant-garde pop reflections on human connection and communication, more song-based and lyrical.

The single builds on classic yet still fresh starting points (the eerie human-vs-technology accents of Berlin-era David Bowie; the twitchy psychology of Ray Davies; the flaring relentlessness of King Crimson and the industrial chants of Laibach) while retaining the teeming post-classical sophistication of previous Unquiet Music Ltd work. Packed with contemporary neuroses and dread, it sits in an uneasy bed of bass beats and electronic noises (representing the multi-levelled grid-and-network dimensions of urban living, clashing in an inhuman routine of pressure) while hammering guitars and gut-wrenching solos surround heartbreaking melodic choruses.

In complete contrast, companion track “Love Of A Dog” is a different kind of vulnerable. Absolutely exposed, unafraid of sentiment, and peculiar (in a good way), it’s a childlike tribute to animal friendship webbed up in organ, unexpected choir and Jon Poole’s tender fretless bass. Another reflection on connection, another example of the shifting Unquiet Music perspective.

Tracks:

I Succumb (Single Version) 04:20
Words, Music: JP Rossi. Arrangements: JP Rossi, Adrian Benavides
Voices, Keys & Electronics: JP Rossi. Guitars: Adrian Benavides. U8 Touch Guitars ®: Markus Reuter. Electronic Drums, Traps & Buttons: Pat Mastelotto

Love Of A Dog 05:08
Words, Music, Arrangements: JP Rossi
Voices & Keys: JP Rossi. Fretless Bass: Jon Poole

Recorded at La Maison Rouge and musicians’ studios 2020-2022
Mixed in at Studio Ritmo & Blu, Italy, by Stefano Castagna *
* Except “I Succumb” mixed in Austin, Texas, by Adrian Benavides
“I Succumb” stems mixing by Stefano Castagna
Mastered by Lee Fletcher
Produced by Markus Reuter for Unquiet Music Ltd
Cover art by ARTMK
Booklet Digital collages based on images by Tobias Reber, Denis Rodier, JP Rossi

What people are saying about Unquiet Music Ltd’s new album:

A pretty ‘out there’ album… Jean-Philippe Rossi writes and constructs the stuff in a very unique and unorthodox manner. It was a fun project to contribute to in that it was so different to anything else I’ve ever worked on.” – Jon Poole (no stranger to “out there” albums) on contributing to “Meme/Music”

One of the most extravagant and unusual albums I’ve mixed this year! I love this great album!” – Stefano Castagna / Ritmo&Blu studios

To purchase:
Bandcamp: Bandcamp: https://unquietmusicltd.bandcamp.com/album/i-succumb-single-free-download

For more information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnquietMusicLtd/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7ayySw5v5jY1zL18mGolZw
Instagram: Unquietmusicltd

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com


Guitarist/Composer Alex Anthony Faide To Release Long Awaited Solo Album “Particles of the Infinite” Featuring King Crimson’s Pat Mastelotto On 7d Media March 18, 2022

For Immediate Release

Guitarist/Composer Alex Anthony Faide To Release Long Awaited Solo Album “Particles of the Infinite” Featuring King Crimson’s Pat Mastelotto On 7d Media March 18, 2022

AAF plays my guitar parts better than I do.”  – Robert Fripp

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Guitarist/Composer Alex Anthony Faide has a decades-long international reputation for being the secret weapon in rock recordings, arrangements, and stage productions in Europe and Latin America. Now based in Seattle, WA, Faide will release his long-awaited solo record – “Particles of the Infinite” – a display of guitar pyrotechnics in nine parts, in March 2022 on Trey Gunn’s label 7d Media. Inspired by and developed from concepts found in songs such as King Crimson’s “Fracture” and “Lark’s Tongues in Aspic,” Faide takes the work beyond the stratosphere into the mirror dimension to find something completely his own. In the words of his mentor Robert Fripp, “AAF plays my guitar parts better than I do.”

Faide spent 2017-19 touring, songwriting, and arranging, with Mexican hard rock heroes Molotov on their MTV Unplugged Show “El Desconecte” and as a sideman for Molotov front man Tito Fuentes’ acclaimed solo record “El Ocaso.” He is currently working on a new project with legendary German producer/songwriter Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, founder and main composer for the band Nena.

Faide is the co-founder of cherished 3rd wave surf rock band, Los Twang! Marvels, in addition to Los Gauchos Alemanes/Electric Gauchos. He has also worked with artists including Markus Reuter, Namgar, Willie Campins, Crystal Beth, TROOT, Kathy Moore, Tiny Orchestral Moments, Los Primitivos, and Lutz Petersen, among countless others.

Says Alex, “It is difficult to determine the true origin of this work, though it stands undeniably as a tribute to my guitar instructor, life mentor, and friend, Robert Fripp. Ideas and compositions started taking shape in April 2016 in response to a challenge set forth by long-time collaborator and life brother Steve Ball (League of Crafty Guitarists, Electric Gauchos, Prometheus) to come up with my own version of King Crimson’s ‘Fracture’ and ‘Lark’s Tongues in Aspic.’ Mr. Fripp’s writing and guitar work in these monumental pieces strike me as expertly unique blends of influences in contemporary electric guitar repertoire, which inspired me to dive deeply into my own voice and personal practice to accept the challenge issued.

“What sparked my interest the most was the notion of a fierce, heavy rock attitude and sound, executed with pristine precision in a contemporary classical music tradition on an electrified instrument. I am mesmerized by the section of “Fracture” known as “Perpetuum Mobile” and with the guitarist’s capacity to execute intricate parts in an effortless fashion with a triangular plectrum. The challenge to evoke such intricacy seems to me both impossibly fragile and risky.

“Once the embryonic emergence of ‘Particles of the Infinite Parts I through III’ began to take shape, it became clear this was going to be a full-length record and require a full nine parts to complete the body of work I set out to explore. ‘Particles of the Infinite’ sums up 30 years of personal development and research on the guitar, derived and gleaned from direct guitar instruction as part of Guitar Craft, and the live practice of experiencing life as an international touring musician in myriad genres and settings. I traveled almost monthly between Argentina, Mexico, and the US from 2017-2019, developing this work between shows and collaborations, in hotel rooms and airbnb’s, with recordings intermittently in Seattle when the moment allowed.”

The 9 frameworks that make up “Particles of the Infinite” are presented in triptych (Pt. I-III / Pt. IV-VI / Pt. VII – IX) each containing particular techniques (alternate and cross-picking, stamina, release and flow for the left hand, exploration of diminished /symmetric scale relationships, rhythmic displacement & vector harmonization) – and interpretations of various themes, motifs and passages. There are many convergences imprinted in the music, playing style and overall tone.

Says Alex, “Obviously part of the material stands as a tribute to Fripp, however I am always pushing towards my own musical horizon and following the demands of the Muse. I hear it as ‘gold panning’ in musical form. One could arguably call this record “just a fancy collection of chops”…and I would happily agree with that. But I regard these techniques and interpretations as a cross-pollinating and ever-evolving body of work that points to a larger idea in the ever-expanding continuum of the electric guitar. Above all, these techniques are simply a means to an end, the end being the ability to let music speak freely and continually in real time.

“It’s interesting to experience the evolving arc throughout the whole record start to finish, personally it represents a sort of a surprising navigation chart helping me (and hopefully the listener as well) to find a center of gravity amidst the storm. May the Higher Powers grant Us the Patience to endure and the Strength to persevere. As they say: Ad Astra per Aspera.”

photo by Karen Moskowitz

Particles of the Infinite” Track list:
Pt. I (04:06)
Pt. II (04:31)
Pt. III (05:50)
Pt. IV (04:37)
Pt. V (11:05)
Pt. VI (03:18)
Pt. VII (03:38)
Pt. VIII (06:28)
Pt. IX (06:11)

All tracks composed and performed by Alex Anthony Faide on electric guitar and bass.

Guest drummers:
Matt Chamberlain (Pt. I & VI)
Pat Mastelotto (Pt. II)
Alessandro Inolti (Pt.III, IV, V, VII & VIII)

Recorded at SoundVision Studios (Seattle)
Mixed by Jonathan Plum / London Bridge Studios (Seattle)
Mastered by Brian Lucey / Magic Garden Mastering (LA)

Release Date March 18, 2022

To purchase: https://alexanthonyfaide.bandcamp.com/album/particles-of-the-infinite

For more information:
Official website: www.alexanthonyfaide.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.a.faide
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instrofreak/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexAnthonyFaide

7DMedia: www.7dmedia.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 1-828-350-8158 (US), glassonyonpr@gmail.com


An All-Star Gathering Of Rock Legends Including GRAHAM BONNET, ARTHUR BROWN, VINNIE MOORE, DAVID J, JAMES LABRIE, and others Perform PINK FLOYD’s 1977 Epic ANIMALS In Its Entirety!

For Immediate Release

An All-Star Gathering Of Rock Legends Including GRAHAM BONNET, ARTHUR BROWN, VINNIE MOORE, DAVID J, JAMES LABRIE, and others Perform PINK FLOYD’s 1977 Epic ANIMALS In Its Entirety!

Album features performances by Al Di Meola, Albert Lee, Rick Wakeman, Martin Barre, Carmine Appice, Jordan Rudess, Billy Cobham, Jan Akkerman, and more!

Los Angeles, CA – Following the wildly successful Still Wish You Were Here project released earlier this year, another gathering of classic, prog and art rock superstars have come together to recreate and reimagine Pink Floyd’s ambitious 1977 concept album, Animals! Fusing the white-hot guitar work of Floyd guitarist David Gilmour with the stone-cold cynicism of Roger Water’s lyrics, Animals is widely hailed by die-hard Floyd fans as one of the group’s most highly conceptual and uncompromising albums of their career, and certainly set the template for the commercial breakthrough that would come two years later with 1979’s The Wall.

Now, some of the most veteran players and singers on the planet including jazz-rock guitar legend Al Di Meola, psych-rock godfather Arthur Brown, drum master Billy Cobham, UFO’s Vinnie Moore, Bauhaus’s David J, Dream Theater’s James LaBrie, and so many more come to give their unique spins to this magnum opus. Each track of this groundbreaking work has been completely reimagined with modern production flourishes and tasteful musical additions while staying true to the original album’s heady and subtly complex compositions. Just listen to the new version of “Dogs,” a superb 17-minute suite sung by Rainbow’s Graham Bonnet with Vinnie Moore on guitar, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton on bass, Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto.

Stream “Dogs”: https://orcd.co/graham_bonnet_vinnie_moore_dogs

Animals Reimagined – A Tribute To Pink Floyd is set for release on November 19 on both CD and digital with a vinyl version coming in 2022. The CD version comes in a deluxe 6-panel digipak with artwork created by the most successful digital artist working today, Mike “Beeple” Winkelmann, with cover art designed by James McCarthy. Look for the NFT charity auction of the front cover image later this year!

Pre-order the CD: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/animals-reimagined-a-tribute-to-pink-floyd-cd/
Pre-order/pre-save the digital: https://orcd.co/animals_reimagined

Track List:
1. Pigs On A Wing 1 – Nick van Eede (Cutting Crew) & Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
2. Dogs – Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Vinnie Moore (UFO), Kasim Sulton (Utopia), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) & Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson)
3. Pigs (Three Different Ones) – James LaBrie (Dream Theater), Al Di Meola, Joe Bouchard (Blue Öyster Cult), Patrick Moraz (The Moody Blues) & Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
4. Sheep – Arthur Brown, Rick Wakeman (Yes), Jan Akkerman (Focus), David J. (Bauhaus) & Carmine Appice (Cactus/Vanilla Fudge)
5. Pigs On A Wing 2 – Jon Davison (lead vocalist for Yes), Albert Lee & Billy Sherwood (Yes)

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com


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“A Romantic’s Guide To King Crimson” by The Mastelottos Featuring Drum Legend Pat Mastelotto

For Immediate Release

“A Romantic’s Guide To King Crimson” by The Mastelottos Featuring Drum Legend Pat Mastelotto!

Valentine’s Day 2021 delivers an unexpected and welcome surprise with the release of “A Romantic’s Guide to King Crimson,” the new 12-track album of reinvented King Crimson material by the husband-and-wife duo Deborah and Pat Mastelotto. The collection, which spans the band’s entire history, revisits classics including “Matte Kudasai,” “Heartbeat,” “Moonchild,” “Elephant Talk,” “Peace,” “Exiles,” and “Sleepless.”

Pat Mastelotto is an American rock drummer and record producer who has worked with King Crimson, Mr. Mister, XTC, The Rembrandts and many others. Pat has served as one of King Crimson’s drummers from 1995 to the present day. This album resulted from Pat’s observations and Deborah’s insights made after she intermittently joined Pat on tour as part of the King Crimson entourage from 2008 onwards.

“It’s always been a joke in the King Crimson camp that there’s never a line for the women’s restrooms during intermissions,” said Deborah. “King Crimson plays loud and it’s often intense and raucous. But it can also be haunting and melodic, with some of the most beautiful lyrics ever. We wanted to help uncover that sweetness and introduce the songs to a different type of audience with ‘A Romantic’s Guide to King Crimson.’”

“The album has amazing contributions from all the musicians involved, especially the TOAPP (Three of a Perfect Pair Music Masters Camp) artists,” said Pat. “We experimented together and since they were already lifelong Crim Heads, they were totally into reconfiguring the classic performances or developing totally new parts. So, get ready. You’ll hear some fantastic detail in their playing.”

The recording features material they chose and arranged together with lead vocals by Deborah, a creative Tour de Force in her own right, and with Pat drumming and producing.

“We compiled King Crimson songs and searched for the romanticism in them, then rearranged them,” said Deborah. “The addition of a girl singer automatically changes the feel of those songs and places them in a different genre. Our idea is to create a way for people, especially women, to appreciate the beauty of King Crimson’s music without the fear and sometimes resistance attached to the word ‘prog’ getting in the way. We slow the songs way down and strip them back to their essential lyrics and melodies.”

“In the Crimson tradition, we approached every song as if it was brand new,” said Pat. “At first, it involved tinkering with 20-plus songs in hotel rooms using iPhone apps to choose what worked best for us. We first focused on the lyrics. The words had to resonate and the arrangements had to develop a prog-meets-pop twist to meet my hopes. We had no desire to duplicate the original arrangements. In fact, just the opposite. I was trying to discover where else they could go to expose sweetness, sort of like the old days of cassettes and giving a loved one a mixtape. It’s a gift to fans and a family of former Crims.“

The Mastelottos started the recordings in 2019 by inviting the Texas TOAPP alumni, including members of the Houston symphony, to record in Pat’s home studio in the Texas Hill Country. After a quick trip to Nagoya for his one and only live gig of 2020, which yielded the live Stick Men album “Owari,” Pat returned and spent months with Deborah during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown finishing the project. The result is an album full of lush nuance and ornamentation designed to put listeners in a meditative and buoyant mood.

“The lockdown resulted in a year of cancelled shows, which gave us time to realize the album,” said Pat. “This grand reboot of humanity made being a couple all the more important, nurturing relationships with people we love, gardening and doing home projects while creating this album together was a beautiful experience.”

“2020 has given us the longest period of consecutive days, weeks and months we’ve ever spent together,” said Deborah. “Our close proximity enabled a continuous dialog and working environment, so we never had to break the creative flow.”

“Working from home meant we could take the listening experience from the studio to the car to the bedroom…to test drive…so to speak,” added Pat.

“Heat up the hot tub, fluff your pillows and head to the softer side of the bed for the pinkest Crimson ever”

Track listing

1. Two Hands
2. Matte Kudasai
3. Heartbeat
4. Moonchild
5. Inner Garden
6. One Time (Eyes Wide Open)
7. Peace
8. Book Of Saturday
9. Exiles
10. Elephant Talk
11. People
12. Sleepless

TOAPP musicians Appearing on the record:

From Texas:
Adrian Benevedes
Mark Cook
Chris Cowan
Aralee Dorough
Colin Gatwood
Corin Gatwood
Marty Hobsbracht
Mike McGary
Bill Munyon

From other parts of the world:
Mark Hassett
Marco Machera
Christian Constantini
Kevin Andrews
Jeremy Neese
Victor Sagfors
Dave Martyn
Kara Day Spurlock

Additional musicians and engineers:
Fabio Trentini
Andrew Simmons
Laura Scarborough
Elaine Barber
Alex Coke
Grady Cousins

Cover Art: Ana Fuentes
Design: Denis Rodier

Released February 14, 2021

To pre-order: https://patmastelotto7d.bandcamp.com/album/a-romantics-guide-to-king-crimson

Digital Album
Streaming + Download
Pre-order of A Romantic’s Guide To King Crimson. You get 3 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.

Limited Edition Compact Disc
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
package image
Comes in a 6-panel gatefold card case designed by Denis Rodier with paintings by international artist Ana Fuentes.

For more information:
www.patmastelotto.com
www.7dmedia.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 1-828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com