Gloriously atmospheric, jagged and intense, 2004's 'The Stolen Hour' was a superb extension of Hugh Hopper's 'Jazzloops' series of explorations written to accompany the distinctive imagery of American comic book artist, Matt Howarth.
Assisted by, amongst others, Robert Wyatt (cornet, voice), John Marshall and Didier Malherbe, Hopper updated the Jazz-tinged Minimalist looping he initially developed in the 1960s, evoking the innovative spirit of early Soft Machine, while simultaneously suggesting new possibilities for his music.
Matt Howarth's 'The Stolen Hour', the visual inspiration for this landmark in the development of Hopper's truly idiosyncratic talent, is featured as a pdf file on the enhanced CD.
Tracks
1. Craig’s Distended Train Ride
2. Complications at Work
3. An Inescapable Encounter with Mrs. Pry
4. Yearning for the Stolen Hour
5. The Long Drive
6. An Unregulated Sunset
7. A Sideways Peek at Dreamtime
8. Snide Wisdom involving the Immateriality of Time
9. The Stuff He Sees
10. Mia’s Timely Emergence from the East
11. Compatibility
12. Sharing the Stolen Hour
Credits
Guitar, bass guitar and rhythm loops by Hugh Hopper.
with Pierre-Olivier Govin, John Marshall, Simon Picard,
Jan Ponsford, Frank van der Kooy, and Robert Wyatt.
