It’s been two-and-a-half years since Sir Richard Bishop released the underrated-to-the-point-of-being-offensive album The Freak of Araby, and the void left by the apparent dearth in guitar-centered improvisational releases is starting to make me feel oddly anxious. Fortunately, through whatever spiritual channeling he undoubtedly engages in, Mr. Bishop has become fully aware of my waxing anxiety, and has announced the release of three brand-new CD-Rs due out December 12, but which are available for pre-order now. (Also planned for release next year is full-length collaboration with David Oliphant of Maybe Mental!)
Intermezzo fulfills expectations as a “collection of various pieces for electric and acoustic guitar.” On Outermezzo, Bishop ditches the guitar entirely and experiments with ambient noise. Spontaneous Collaborations seems to be the most appealing of the three releases, compiling previous live recordings and featuring a variety of artists, including Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins) and Climax Golden Twins. Each CD-R is limited to 200 copies signed by Bishop himself, and each is essentially the same length as your standard LP, though one should probably expect a bit more grit in terms of the production. Grit and guitar? Certain artists by the name of Fahey and Orcutt have already proselytized me.
• Sir Richard Bishop: http://www.sirrichardbishop.net
