A TRIGGERING MYTH

A few weeks ago , reading and posting in a thread of the forum section of our beloved site, someone pulled a list in which contained A Triggering Myth (being for a while at the back of my want list), so I headed down to the library and ordered the only album available. This group was almost unknown to me before.

I am always a bit careful of solo or duo works like this one. Only two musicians (two keyboardists on top of it) handling a small palette of instruments with some guests for the others. Although most of the music is quite pleasant (sometimes enthralling) evolving close to Canterbury style but also towards more symphonic moments, I find myself all too often asking this question: what is the point of making this kind of stuff, heard hundreds of times before and elsewhere? Aside from the obvious answers such as the need for the musicians to free themselves and expresses their needs , their joys and pleasure (all very good answers) I am wondering if they could not dare be a bit more personal. The real problem I found is that the writers are playing and composing on the same instruments therefore not taking advantage of composing on guitars or wind instruments (the palettes are very different) and the fact that all tracks are instrumental (non-vocals) make for serious weaknesses in an otherwise good debut. I do not know what their later albums are like , but this album gives good ideas on how to develop a group and makes me want to listen to another abum of theirs.

A very imperfect but promising debut.

Well such an interesting debut album represents all the value as well the defects emerged within this important keyboard duo - consisting of Rick Eddy and Tim Drumheller - during their complex music exploration: anyway thanks to this latter this work is worth the price, regarding of its harmonic aspects as well as the technological Midi interface device. Moreover such device is able to enrich their work by means of fine effects, just broken by occasional passages at the guitar; but the problem is connected with the duration of the songs, sometimes being not completely fitted into their project and a bit uneven too!! The last 14 minutes of this instrumental album are a bit tiring, but of course their excursion into the experimental territory - in the style of Zappa (or according to the mood from Canterbury) - will be developed much better in the last recent albums by ATM, a strong ensemble from Maryland with a couple of important guests , that you won't forget. So at the end the present work is the first unfinished step only... good effort after all and this is the main reason which makes me think of adding an half star at least!

Superb progressive/RIO/fusion duo,formed in 1990 in Richmond,USA by two multi-instrumentalists,Rick Eddy and Tim Drumheller.Both were much interested both in 70's progressive rock and improvisational jazz and after they met each other in 1989,they released their debit in 1990 as A TRIGGERING MYTH.This is an absolutely original and personal release with close leanings to RIO,electronic progressive and grandiose soundtrack music.Actually instruments like guitars (mainly) and bass are very sporadic used and their music is built around keyboards and piano.From the classical piano-style and the nice organ work to the grandiose synth/electronic orchestrations,you''ll find yourself being in another world listening to the charming atmosphere this duo can create.There are also numerous passages dominated by smooth flutes and leading trumpets and strings (where the RIO movement come in mind),making their sound ever richer and more beautiful.The final result of their first effort is an album close to the likes of contemporary classical music with tons of keyboards,electronics and an evident ''rock'' element.Highly recommended by my side,''A triggering myth'' is an overlooked gem of modern progressive rock's history.