Near Misses

Roam the Hello Clouds

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: August 21, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Scape
• ASIN: B000NQDC4M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #491,910 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This is the debut recording by Australia's Roam The Hello Clouds, a group made up of members Laurence Pike (of Triosk), Dave Miller and Phil Slater. Near Misses is 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 Slater's soaring trumpet (reminiscent of Miles Davis circa Bitches Brew) in combination with Miller's subtle electronics and Pike's untethered drumming. The musicians used chance and error as their modus operandi, inviting the unknown and then manipulating it into something cool and free, from abstract to electronic. 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. 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 two 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 is this album of unrehearsed group improvisation recorded in a single day. What you hear is a live band; playing and processing and recording in takes, much the way they used to do in the '60s. Even Dave Miller's sound sources came almost exclusively from live on-the-fly sampling from the band's previous gigs. They fuse together with a breathtaking musical rapport, yet always retain their individual characteristics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars on target, October 11, 2007

By	BEIGE (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

For fans of experimental/nujazz/laptop/electronica, Near Misses hits the target. This Jazz is global, alive and present day. For those that seek true new jazz innovations and evolutions, Roam is aiming fully in the right direction. Dynomite horn chops. Excellent laptop minimal/glitch/foundsound/etc. Perfect drumming. Nothing forced, nothing rigid. They keep their improv tight, loose, real and listenable.

Trace influences of: Computer Soup, Cinematic Orchestra, Triosk, Toshinori Kondo, Jon Hassell, Molvaer, Jan Jelinek, POLE (1&2), Monolake. If you dig any of these evolvers, you will likely fully dig this work.