THE PROJEKCTS

In the 90's, King Crimson was finally able to share in recorded form the transcendent improvisation that characterized the 73-74 lineup. The release of "The Great Deciever" boxset made the studio albums pale in comparison. Something had been happening with this band that went beyond ordinary rock and jazz, and beyond ordinary songwriting. King Crimson fulfilled its mission best when they stepped out into the unknown and improvised.

When the "Double Trio" formation came together for the VROOOM EP and the THRAK album, Robert Fripp looked back to the sound of "Red" for inspiration, and came to consider the possibilities for this group improvising as the Wetton/Cross/Bruford/Fripp lineup had.

However, the first experiments in Double Trio improvising were disappointing. I suppose some people like ThraKattaK, and I pretended to like it for a summer, but it really is a lot of poorly integrated noise. Improvisation for the Double Trio was mostly limited to a free section in the one song, Thrak.

However, Fripp doggedly pursued the improvisation idea subsequently, in the idea of "fractalizing" King Crimson into different ProjeKCts. The idea was that, just like in the "Starless and Bible Black" era, King Crimson would develop material for the next album organically, on the road, through improvisation. The group would convene in different touring units with different lineups, and each lineup would develop its own techniques and material.

ProjeKCt One is the one that sounds most like 70's King Crimson, largely because it is the ProjeKCt with the acoustic drummer, Bill Bruford. It is also the lineup that makes the best use of Tony Levin's abilities. His bass and stick work often serve as the seed out of which the pieces grow. ProjeKCt one's improvisation style is closer to jazz than the other ProjeKCts. It is worth checking out the Collector's Club release of this group as well, because even though the group only played for six nights, there is a remarkable diversity of material. Another thing that is reminiscent of 70's crimson is that Robert Fripp often uses his soundscapes like a mellotron, providing a wide, grand sonic landscape to contextualize the work of the other players.

ProjeKCt Two began as a studio improvisation exercise, with Adrian Belew abandoning the guitar and serving as the entire rhythm section. This was accomplished with Roland's new (at the time) V-Drums, which allowed for the programming of a bass line to be triggered by the kick drum.

In ProjeKCt Two, Fripp and Gunn alternate between the roles of atmposheric soundscapes and traditional guitar soloing. The studio release is probably the more definitive embodiment of this group, but the "Live Groove" album presented in this box set demonstrates how the pieces developed in the studio translated into a rocking live show.

ProjeKCt two is probably the lineup which had the most personality of its own, adopting a science fiction mythology, paying tribute to Sun Ra by writing "Space is Still the Place" on the album cover, and having the largest original playlist.

ProjeKCt Three is probably the weakest part of the set. This group plays material that is recognizable from ProjeKcts Two and Four, but in a less inspired way. One contrast between the album presented here and the Collector's Club version is that Pat Matelotto's subsequent remixing of the material was considered another dimension of the group's creative process. ProjeKCt Three has the best album cover, PJ Crook's evocative painting of a masquerade ball, but perhaps only the very first piece on the album, a soundscape-heavy improvisation, fulfills the mysterious promise of the artwork.

ProjeKCt Four is the real surprise of the set. On this album, Pat Mastelotto's heavy electronica and triggered loops propel Levin, Gunn, and Fripp into what is arguably a unique form of music. It is hard, heavy, and breathtaking. If the subsequent King Crimson had sounded like this, I think the albums would have recieved more attention. The improvisations are less free than ProjeKCt One, because the other musicians must match the beat of the electronic drumming, but the energy released on frenetic pieces like "Ghost" is unlike anything else being played at the time. For my money, ProjeKCt Four is the most groundbreaking music of the entire set, because a new form of music was being explored here.

Back in the 90's, I awaited the arrival of this set with reverent anticipation. This music, though it doesn't carry the official name of King Crimson, stands as evidence that Robert Fripp and the revolving cast of King Crimson were still at the forefront of the music of progress, decades after inventing it.