wmo 16cd cover

manchesterlondon
gilbertpossstenger
wmo 16cd
71 minutes

Track Listing: manc, variation

released june 9 2000

[ back ]

WMO are pleased to announce the release of a unique collaboration between bruce gilbert (wire) and robert poss and susan stenger (both ex-band of susans) (released by arrangement with mute records/blast first).

the three parties playing on this cd need little introduction. bruce is one of the founding members of 70's "art-rock" group wire who released three albums before breaking up in 1980. he then collaborated with fellow wire member graham lewis on a number of projects such as dome, cupol, p'o etc.

wire reformed in 1985 and released a further 4 albums before mutating into wir for their final album in 1991. in february 2000 wire reunited to reinvent themselves, yet again, by performing songs from their 25 year back catalogue. bruce has also released a number of solo albums and been commissioned to write music for ballets, animation and more recently channel four tv commissions for iain sinclair and chris petit's 'the falconer' (1999) and their forthcoming film on michael moorcock which will be broadcast later this year.

poss and stenger were the founding members of new york "drone-rock" band band of susans. both come from varying musical backgrounds: poss played in punk/rock groups tot rocket and western eyes as well as performing with avant-guitarist rhys chatham and electronicist nicolas collins. stenger, a classically trained flautist, was active in the downtown new york experimental music scene, specialising in the performance of works by john cage, phil niblock, christian wolff, among others. she was also a member of rhys chatham's guitar army. in 1986 whilst putting together a new band robert asked childhood friend susan stenger to play bass. band of susans was born. they went on to release five albums before disbanding in 1995.

bruce, robert and susan are no strangers to working together. bos supported wire on their 1988 us tour and bruce had deputised for a member of the band of susans for one of their 1989 uk tour dates.

on 11th and 12th october 1995, gilbertpossstenger appeared live at manchester's hacienda club and london's disobey club. both performances were recorded but the latter was unfortunately unusable owing to an onstage technical fault. however, paul smith (blast first) took the hacienda tapes into mute records "the instrument" and made a dramatic remix. both tracks are included on this cd.

these performances include bruce gilbert on slide-guitar (a long-held ambition of his) and live manipulation/ processing, robert poss on guitar and susan stenger on bass and oscillsators. they create an all-out sonic assault, underpinned by susan's drone's and bass riffs, in which bruce and robert were given free reign to embellish and extemporise.

fans of bruce gilbert will be surprised at yet another string to his bow whilst fans of band of susans will be pleased to hear the two co-founders of that band performing together so sympathetically.