Impressum

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Even though you may have heard 10,000+ albums in your life time, every now and then, you come across a piece of music or a band which still surprises you. Discovering such unheard music is every music lover’s ultimate drug. Roam the Hello Clouds convey the excitement that feeling of discovery brings. Not only is their musical concept adventurous, it also sounds great – a rare combination that will make many lovers of jazz and/or electronic music delirious.

At a glance, some might mistakenly classify it as “jazz/electronica” mainly due to Phil Slater’s soaring trumpet (reminiscent of Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew) in combination with Dave Miller’s subtle electronics and Laurence Pike’s untethered drumming. Regarding its formal aspects, you could argue that ‘Near Misses’ was a Jazz album in the truest spirit of the word. The musicians used chance and error as their modus operandi, inviting the unknown and then manipulating it with design. But, as the album progresses and the interplay between the three musicians reaches a strong intensity and all barriers dissolve and all attempts at categorizations fail. This music never stands still. In the course of the album, it metamorphoses from Cool to Free, from Abstract to Electronic.

As much as chance is an integral part of their music, it also played a great part in the conception of the band. In October 2003, Sydney-based drummer Laurence Pike was paired up with Perth Laptop artist Dave Miller in a ‘musical blind date’ for a performance at the Sydney Opera House. It turned out to be the meeting of kindred spirits. When in the following week the opportunity for another gig in Sydney arose, Pike called upon trumpeter Phil Slater to complete what he thought would be an ideal musical partnership for a one-off collaboration. And he was right - about the partnership, but fortunately not about it being a one-off thing.

The following year, a second performance was scheduled, and with only 2 gigs under their belts, the band set about trying to capture the intuitive nature of their exciting live performances in a studio situation. The result of the recording is the album Near Misses, 10 tracks of unrehearsed group improvisation recorded in a single day.

There are many beaten tracks for the configuration of improvising groups, notably, Roam the Hello Clouds have chosen to forge their own path with the slightly unusual combination of drums, laptop and trumpet. Of special interest is the use of the laptop artist as a fully fledged improviser and integrated part of the ensemble. Here we have living proof that computers and man can create great art side by side. Miller’s hardware and deft ears not only provide harmony and tempo, but also sample and reinterpret the musings of his colleagues, establishing the sort of interplay one associates with the masters of the improvising idiom, rather than an Apple Mac.

What you hear in the end is a live band; playing, processing – everything was performed live in the studio, recorded in takes, much the way they did at Rudy Van Gelder’s New Jersey Studio in the 1960’s. Even Dave Miller’s sound sources came almost exclusively from live on-the-fly sampling from the band’s previous gig. Admirably, amongst this group process, three clearly discernible instrumental voices are still maintained. They fuse in an almost breathtakingly musical rapport, yet always retain their individual characteristics.

Fortunately for the listener, for every near hit on this album, there are many more near misses.



THE ARTISTS:
Sydney musician Laurence Pike is probably Australia’s most interesting drummer.
As a leader, he has gained the most exposure with electronic/jazz/experimental group Triosk (three international releases to date on Leaf and ~scape) and post/prog-rockers Pivot (including a nomination for Triple J’s Australian album of the year). He has recorded and toured with Burnt Friedman & Atom Heart’s cyber-jazz group Flanger, German electronic innovator Jan Jelinek and will also be appearing on the forthcoming releases of Prefuse 73’s Savath Y Savalas project. In a review of his Drums for Fun and Fitness 10” for Berlin-based Monika label, The Wire wrote: “Whoever programmed him should be mighty proud. “

Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, the physical seclusion of living in the most isolated city in the world inspired Dave Miller to create his very own forms of electronic music. While still at high school, Dave finally saved up enough money to buy a sampler. Local radio and audiences picked up on him quickly, but it was when Dave supported Jan Jelinek, that the move from local upstart to internationally released artist began. Since then, he has shared stages with among others Jamie Lidell, Funkstorung, Four Tet and Andrew Pekler.
The 2005 release of his debut album Mitchells Raccolta on Background Records and a subsequent tour of Europe received unanimously positive reviews. Wrote the Wire:
"Dave Miller puts a new spin on the virtual reality of sample-based composition”

Sydney-based Trumpeter Phil Slater is arguably the most significant Australian jazz/improvising artist of his generation. He leads his own groups, and has played many jazz festivals all over the world, having performed with a diverse range of international artists including Jim Black, Nigel Kennedy and Lou Reed.
‘The Australian’ has said Slater is “. . .at the cutting edge of contemporary jazz. . . originality, technical mastery and that spark of intelligent musical exploration that has always driven the evolution of jazz.’

Links:
www.roamthehelloclouds.com
www.myspace.com/roamthehelloclouds
www.myspace.com/laurenzpike
www.myspace.com/davemillermusic
www.downlouder.com (Phil Slater)