PROJEKCT X: HEAVEN AND EARTH

Well, among many errors people are making is to think ProjeKct X is a King Crimson work : it is not. Plus, think about this seriously : these guys decided to record an album while recording an another one ! It's so crazy...

If you listen to the two albums, they are so different, in rythms, textures, the experiences, the voyages, nothing is to be compare. And always remember : they recorded these two *so different* albums in the same studio, with the same personel at the same time. To acheive that, you must be an outstanding and excellent musician. And most of all, you have to switch something in your head. So they switched on.

As the name "ProjeKct X" calls it, this work is from the fusion of four great musicians, not the Crimson guys. If you follow Fripp's work, you understand he finally found musical friends to explore a music style he flirts with very often : "space" music. Sometime, it's very weird, as Fripp can be, then it rocks, then you're beside this great magnificience. With his long story with Fripptonics and his own-designed Soundscapes, Fripp is to me the only musician who succeeds to reach the paradise. Through this very emotionnal musical essay, at the Heaven and Earth song, you'll get there.

You have to be experienced to Fripp's stuff to really understand what's going on, but if you love Crimson stuff, you HAVE to listen to this one.

I have to respectfully disagree with previous (and possibly future) reviewers who don't regard this pseudonymous effort as a legitimate KING CRIMSON recording. On the contrary, I would argue that it represents a truly 21st Century (schizoid) vision of the band, and one that embodies the time-honored, forward-thinking spirit of the Crimson King better than its year 2000 companion album "The ConstruKction of Light".

Both of them, believe it or not, were recorded simultaneously, this one assembled from various outtakes and studio jams while the 'official' album was still in gestation. The big difference between the two is that ProjeKct X was the brainchild of the ace Crimso rhythm team led by drummer Pat Mastelotto, whose affection for techno-pulse percussion and drum 'n' bass soundscapes reaches something close to critical mass here.

You may have already heard the sultry title track, added as an epilogue to the "ConstruKction" album (and arguably the best thing on it). But by itself it doesn't give an altogether accurate impression of the adrenalin-driven, hyperspace grooves on display here. Crimson's next studio album, 2003's "The Power To Believe", may have better integrated the ProjeKct X ethos into an actual song-based format, but this is Mastelotto's Crimson King in all its unexpurgated glory, at last fulfilling the promise of the post-Double Trio research and development fractals (or 'fraKctals', if you prefer) in brilliant, no-holds-barred fashion.

If, like myself, you thought the first V-drum driven ProjeKcts foretold a potential major leap forward in the ongoing evolution of King Crimson, but were disappointed with its relatively conventional application on "The ConstruKction of Light", or if you found yourself teased by the tongue-in-cheek techno-geek cut-ups of the Mastelotto / Bill Munyon sub-Crimson spin-off BPM&M, then you owe it to your ears (not to mention all the starving gray matter in between) to hear this album.

Exactly how state-of-the-art is it? Consider that the running time of each track, as listed in the CD booklet, is broken down to a ridiculous 1/100th of a second, something only a true music nerd could appreciate.

I only wish it had been released under the official King Crimson banner, instead of half- hidden behind an insecure studio alias. You'd think, after the daring anti-commercial improvisations of 1996's "Thrakattak", that Robert Fripp would have enough nerve to again challenge the accepted wisdom of the marketplace. But, whatever the name on the CD case, there's no mistaking the color of such brain-bending monsters like "Superbottomfeeder" or "Demolition": both undeniably Crimson in every way, shape and form.

Like it or not, this may be a sneak preview of a possible KC future, as usual way ahead of its time.

(2 and a half stars)

The nature of King Crimson has always been to go beyond existing musical barriers, exploring new territories. Every incarnation of the band has followed this rule since 1969. This can be appreciated even more in their live albums, since the volcanic (and mediocre) "Earthbound" until his recent live releases. Personally, I consider that the best balance between songs and improvs. was achieved in the 1973-1974 period (as can be listened in the essential box "The Great Deceiver"). In the 80´s, the improvs. were not as numerous, but after the side projects (or "projeKcts") in the late 90´s, improvisations were a way to "discover" new material for studio albums.

ProjeKct X came after the first 4 projeKcts with different line-ups, buy I think that this time they were not adding anything really new that hadn´t been explored in the previous projeKcts (except the incredible track with the same title as the album, "Heaven and Earth").

Yes, with King Crimson you can always expect (and sometimes enjoy) the darker and noisier side (as it happens with the tremendous "Demolition", a riff also used in King Crimson), but the general impression is not exactly a quartet searching for new material for "The ConstruKction of Light ". Anyway, as always, some material is interesting ("Maximizer", which could fit in ProjeKct Three, "Hat in the Middle" or "Belew Jay Way", which anticipates the future three "Sides" series by Adrian Belew) , but the better track is the one that also appeared at the end of "The ConstruKction of Light ", "Heaven and Earth" .

If you wish to know the risky side of King Crimson, listen first to "The Great Deceiver" (or any live album from 1973-74) or have a try with the compilation of the projeKcts "Deception of the Thrush" (and be careful with "THRaKaTTaK", more noisier and heavier than this ProjeKct X!). Anyway, as it always happens, if you are "in the mood" and want some adventure, the more you listen to this experimental album, the more you enjoy it...

Well what we have here is a release by a group of musicians known collectively as PROJEKCT X. The same group of muscians that are also known as KING CRIMSON! I can see where this would and could be a bit confusing,since this release seems to be neither fish nor fowl.I ran across this release at a KING CRIMSON show in Nashville,Tn. and at this point the lp THE CONSTRUCKTION OF LIGHT had not yet been released.Robert Fripp's sister was along for this tour and was promoting the release as a preview of what was to be KC's next and newest release,and of course, I had to pick up a copy.I am very glad that I did!As one who is lucky enough to have seen this band live many times,(the first time was in 1973 with GENTLE GIANT as a warm up),I have to say this really is one of my faves! Before the Nashville show began I got to hear the practice sessions preceeding the show and with no vocals,it reminds me very much of PROJECKT X.I think that I may even like it a bit better the CONSTRUCKTION OF LIGHT.Not that the vocals are bad,but the X release is just so much more of the pure sound of the band.I have played this for many friends and they also tend to agree with my take on this one.So please don't be swayed by any negitive comments or reviews,just give it a listen and judge for yourself.

Although I'm not an expert in describing musical style, the style here in this record is more noisy in the artful way in which King Crimson is adept at using it-- perhaps somewhat like the mismash of live improvisations in the Thrakattak album, but more coherent and with more direction/purpose to the improvs. At the same time, there is an electronic/dance feel to a lot of the music, reminiscent of the Satori in Tangier from the Beat album and of the second half of the album, Three of A Perfect Pair. The best song on the album is the title track, Heaven and Earth, which (as another reviewer has stated) also made it onto the ConstruKction of Light album. I also personally like The Business of Pleasure, because it has an industrial feel to it.

I believe that someone on the DGM website wrote a review of this album, and I'm essentially echoing his or her sentiment in the following statement: There are a lot of great songs on here, but this album could have used some cleaning up. If it HAD been cleaned up, then it would have been considered one of King Crimson's very finest albums. The first four songs are very good. There are four songs which could have used (more) editing. I'll detail these below.

Strange Ears (Aging Rapidly) is only okay. Near the middle, it loses the listener's interest. It's a 9+ minute song. It could have been cut down.

Six O' Clock sounds a bit like Demolition (also on this album). From the Six O' Clock jam, you can definitely hear a similarity to parts of Larks' Tongues in Aspic Part IV as well as The World's my Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum (both from the ConstruKction of Light album (which was recorded at the same time)). Unfortunately, it is basically the same riff for most of the song. About 2.5 minutes into it, it starts to get a bit repetitive.

Superbottomfeeder is another long song. The riff from The World's my Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum also makes an appearance in this song. Superbottomfeeder is arguably a bit repetitive after the first five minutes or so. During the last part of the song, things get too wild, at least for me. The rhythm gets kind of messed up-- like out of sync for certain instrumental parts. The percussion tries to hold things together for a while, but basically gives up before resuming. I think this really should have been edited.

Demolition is a jam based on the main riff from The World's my Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum. It's main fault is that it's seven minutes long and based just on that one riff, which repeats over and over again. So yeah, it's repetitive. Again, this could have been easily fixed by shortening it.

Despite my noted gripes above, this album is considerably more listenable, interesting, fluid, and forward-looking than is ConstruKction of Light. I give this album ~3.7 stars. I'm rounding up.

I will explain why I can thoughtfully give to this album five stars. Well, to begin with most of the time the music in this album is quite horrible and I like very much horrble music. There are very few parts that can be acceptable for average people, only maybe Heaven and Hell. If you put this album in your car, it is very difficult for you to get slept, so it gives security in this sense. On the other hand, it can be dangerous, since you can drive much faster than usual. Until now it has been impossible for me to put this album in a reasonalbe volume, say three over ten, and my wife let me finish it. Therefore it is a masterpiece, indeed, very few people is able to do this kind of music.

Heaven and Earth by King Crimson ALIAS ProjeKct X.

Fripp is CRAZY. And that is great because SO AM I.

I understand his music, its mood, its structure. I also enjoy it.

I`ve been listening this album for a while and I decided to review it because there is only one comment....... thas is not enough to encourage people to buy this record. Here I go: IT`S AMAZING!!!!!!!! I won`t compare this CD with others because I found here another style. another kind of music, another mood, structure.

There were sometimes when I felt like in outer space listening to it...... I felt like if I were in a SCI FI movie or something.. and there were other times when I could feel the anger, the Heavy metal, the hard sound. "Demolition" reminded me of Lark`s tongue "The bussines of pleasure" reminded me of neurotica "Side window" Well, I`ve never heard KC play something like that and this feeling happens with other songs too

Give this one a chance, KC fan.... You won`t regret it

And for the one who hasn`t heard KC yet, do not start with this one, you won`t understand it.

Once again thanks for reading and remember: SORRY ABOUT MY ABD ENGLISH

Adiós

Heaven and Earth is one of the best releases by modern King Crimson, and is mostly experimental electronic based metal and funk inspired jams. This albums flows freely through avant-funk jams that are highly original and interesting. I'm actually surprised that this album isn't rated higher. I feel like this album, along with Space Groove, has a much more modern sound than THRAK and ContruKction of Light that exemplifies what King Crimson is all about, which is mostly creating original music and constantly trying to progress further in sound. Nothing sounds quite like this, so I'd have to call that some kind of progression in both the music world in general and in the context of King Crimson's past releases. The playing here is tight, and is largely improvised, and is incredibly interesting. Highly recommended for fans that enjoyed Space Groove and are looking for something a bit harder and more experimental.

Following The ConstruKtion of Light, ProjeKct X (the full quartet of King Crimson, just under a different moniker) put out a full album. Much like ProjeKct Two, it's clear that this music stemmed primarily from jamming and experimentation, but it is notably better than Space Groove. The sound palette is more diverse and earthier, which works to the band's strengths. Heaven and Earth, ProjeKct X's sole album, is overlong, meandering, and generally unnecessary, but it's got some good stuff scattered throughout.

"The Business of Pleasure" is a good, growling intro with industrial flavors. But the next couple tracks each meditate on one not-very-interesting idea apiece. "Maximizer" sounds like it could have been refined to fit in on a proper KC album, and the nine-and-a-half-minute "Strange Ears (Aging Rapidly)" is an alright jam.

There are some fun, wonky ideas in "Overhead Floor Mats Under Toe", and "Six O'Clock" has a good, trudging rhythm. Most of these songs?especially the ones over three minutes long?go on for much longer than they need to, which hampers the enjoyability of this record. There's too much muddy guitar noodling and too many vaguely-electronic beats that go nowhere.

"One E End" is especially electronic, even by this release's standards, and "Two Awkward Moments" is a decent one-minute interlude. "Demolition" dwells on one riff for seven minutes when 90 seconds would have been fine.

The title track, which appeared on ConstruKction, is the penultimate cut. Heaven and Earth ends with "Belew Jay Way". This torpid piece is your typical King Crimson jam, insofar as it hints at something interesting that may happen, but it instead simply lingers for too long without coming to a satisfying conclusion.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/04/15/deep-dive-king-crimson/