The Wolf at the Door [2CD]

Henry Kaiser And P.St - The Wolf at the Door [2CD]

That Wolf At The Door is a collaborative 2CD between Henry Kaiser (Califonia, USA; guitar) and P.ST (Prague, Czechia; electronics). The first CD That Wolf At The Door is a solo baritone guitar disc that pays a heartfelt tribute to the late science fiction author Gene Wolfe (May 7, 1931 -- April 14, 2019). The album is a testament to the decades-long friendship and mutual appreciation between Wolfe and Kaiser, two creative minds who shared a passion for pushing the boundaries of their respective art forms. With novels often as complex and extraordinary as Cecil Taylor's best piano playing, Wolfe is one of Kaiser's favorite writers of all time. On this disc, Kaiser's guitar storytelling and narratives were consciously and intentionally influenced by Wolfe's writing. The baritone guitar, with its longer scale length, typically larger body, and lower tuning than a regular guitar, is an intriguing instrument. It is often pitched halfway between the lowest note of a bass of a regular guitar, adding a unique depth and resonance to the sound. Henry Kaiser has been playing baritone guitars for over 30 years, and this is his second CD, after 2024's The Lost Chord, which is all baritone. The solos here are free-improvised, live, in real time, with no overdubbing. Various extended techniques, both manual and electronic, were employed to create polyphonic and orchestral textures. Many of Kaiser's musical heroes -- Terry Riley, Cecil Taylor, Derek Bailey, Iannis Xenakis, Rockette Morton, Conlon Nancarrow, Barry Guy, Rakotozafy, D'Gary, Evan Parker, and György Ligeti -- inspired the solos on this disc. The second CD Sea Of Memories is a solo electronic disc by P.ST, created exclusively from Henry Kaiser's guitar playing. P.ST is a performer/composer based in Prague. The first fifty minutes of Sea Of Memories are sourced from Henry Kaiser's solo guitar playing, which P.ST digitally decomposed and deconstructed. The second piece, "Pattern Of Joy," is an eight-minute guitar improvisation from Henry Kaiser processed by P.ST through thirty-two periodically delayed overlays that grew the piece into twenty-two minutes duration. 1.01. Hour of Trust_x000D_ 1.02. A Borrowed Man_x000D_ 1.03. The Lost Pilgrim_x000D_ 1.04. The Death of Doctor Island_x000D_ 1.05. The Island of Doctor Death_x000D_ 1.06. Death of the Island Doctor_x000D_ 1.07. Return to the Whorl_x000D_ 1.08. Of Relays and Roses_x000D_ 1.09. Seven American Nights_x000D_ 1.10. Interlibrary Loan_x000D_ 2.01. Sea of Memories_x000D_ 2.02. Patterns of Joy