Trey Gunn and David Forlano hesitate to put confining labels on the music they create, and part of that is because they actively “dodge” genres, seeking out the “in-between” spaces that exist within the infinite spectrum of sound we have on planet Earth. That’s not to say they haven’t had a good amount of success in the world of popular rock ‘n’ roll. Gunn is a long-established figure in the prog and psychedelic rock scene who played for years with the mighty King Crimson as well as various musicians from around the world. Gunn’s list of collaborations ranges from his work with King Crimson to jamming alongside unorthodox guitar shredders such as Vernon Reid of Living Colour or powerful vocalists such as Tool’s Maynard J. Keenan (with his side project Puscifer). And Forlano launches Gunn into overdrive with an innovative blend of free-improvisation, electronics and live sampling. His arsenal of sonic weapons includes the EWI (electric wind instrument), alto sax, Akai sampler, Ableton Live on MAC laptop and various apps run though iPad. Together they perform music that is truly out of this world. Imagine a funky, jazz-influenced prog rock band who hooked their instruments up to the mother computer of an alien spaceship on an endless voyage to the end of the universe. They’re having an album release show for their newest joint-endeavor Select Habits of Invertebrates at FUSION | 708 | on Saturday, Dec. 6, and they invite fans of unusual soundscapes to enjoy a one-of-a-kind concert accompanied by a video installation produced by John-Mark Collins. During the party, the musicians will be positioned in the center of the room and the audience will experience quadraphonic surround sound and visual elements from multiple vantage points throughout FUSION’s performance space. Opening the event is Chris Meyer’s Alias Zone, who will be performing some of Meyer’s latest work and showing off their proficiency in creating “cinematic, emotional and organic” electronic music. At the show you can expect to see and hear gadgets that seem to tap into parts of your brain you never knew existed. And although the show is sure to make you pulsate to pleasurable rhythms, don’t underestimate the awesome power of Gunn’s 10-string Warr Guitar.
Will you describe your sound for us?
Gunn: Electronic, improvisation, dark ambient.
Forlano: In art school I read a book about the artist Robert Erwin called “Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees.” It’s a great book, but the title alone stayed with me through everything I do. This is key in my passion for free-improvisation in music. Some might say free-improvisation is a genre; I do not. At its core, it seeks the in-between space and is always dodging genre. While Trey and I are not performing free-improvised music, we still carry with us the notion of music that skirts known genres. There are definitely elements of downtempo, electronica, dark ambient, improvisation and even prog-rock. Sometimes we visit those directly, and other times we play the spaces in between. This keeps the music fresh and evolving for us and the audience.
What are your favorite venues to play and why?
Gunn: Medium-sized theaters are great for having a big sound, but still intimate with the audience. Outdoors is great for playing into the expanse.
Forlano: The majority of my playing has been in intimate venues. I haven’t played to large audiences. Most of what I have done is fully improvisational and with ensembles. I like the smaller venues for this kind of music. It is great to be close to the audience when the improvisational interaction between musicians happens. This new work with Trey has potential to fill larger venues. The majority of what we do is electronic-based and can create giant sonic soundscapes and rhythms.
What are your lyrics about?
Gunn: Sci-fi, science and literature. We don’t sing during the performance, but there are lots of spoken words that peek out from time to time. The voices are English, Russian, Irish, Finnish, Spanish and Italian.
What bands or genres inspire your music?
Gunn: Brian Eno, John Hassel.
Forlano: My list of who and what I listen to is always changing. Much of it hinges on the projects I am currently involved with. Some of the elements in music I am drawn to include mysterious melodies, unusual sound structures and layers of surprising sonic textures. My current work using tools for live sampling has directed much of my attention towards Jan Bang – some consider him the father of live sampling. Live sampling is the act of grabbing sounds in the moment from other players and turning those around to incorporate into the live music as it unfolds.
My inspirations include Jon Hassell, Jan Bang, Arve Henricksen, Aivind Aarset, J. Peter Schwalm, Brian Eno, Stars of The Lid, Fred Frith, John Zorn, King Crimson, Art Pepper, Evan Parker, Canberk Ulaş and Eberhard Weber.
What is the best show you have ever played and why?
Gunn: Best? Who knows? But one particularly memorable show was playing in Moscow with King Crimson in 2003. The band had never been in Russia, so it was already a major cultural event. It turned out that the hotel and venue were connected, and they were next door to the Kremlin – which pretty much meant that every room in the hotel was either bugged or had been bugged by the KGB at some point. The performance was sold out and very powerful.
What else should people know about you guys?
Trey Gunn, a native Texan who resides in New Mexico, plays the Warr Guitar: a 10-string instrument that combines the bass and electric guitar in one. It is played by tapping the strings with all the fingers of both hands. Trey has been playing this instrument for almost 40 years. From the blistering live recordings at the Royal Albert Hall in London with David Sylvian and Robert Fripp (“Damage,” Virgin Records) to 10 years recording and touring with King Crimson – a group many contend as the most aggressively adventurous rock band of all time – Gunn is associated with a constant stream of cutting-edge projects.
In addition to the powerful performances and recordings of his groups Tu-Ner, KTU, 3Below, The Security Project and the multi-media Quodia, Gunn has toured and/or recorded with John Paul Jones, Brian Eno, Maynard J. Keenan’s “Puscifer,” Vernon Reid, Azam Ali, David Hykes of the Harmonic Choir and Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. When not on the road, Gunn continues his work scoring for TV/film, runs his own media label (7d Media) and coaches musicians in the creative process.
David Forlano is a multi-disciplinary performance and visual artist who plays EWI (electric wind instrument), alto sax, Akai sampler, Ableton Live on MAC laptop and various apps run though iPad. His commissioned sound design supported dance and theater throughout the ’90s in Philadelphia. He was often found teaming with percussionist Toshi Makihara on many performances as well as their own collaborations in free improvisation.
After relocating to Santa Fe in 2005 he took a 10-year break from all performance and sound work. David is currently renewing his passion for collaboration in performance and sound. He currently holds regular sessions in his studio with local musicians and performs in a variety of ensembles. David is one of the cofounders of sandboxmusic.org, a monthly series presenting new creative music to the Santa Fe area. The series is dedicated to providing a forum for music that utilizes creative new techniques, ranging from electronic, experimental acoustic, new jazz, modern classical and more. The series features local musicians as well as touring artists.
Listen Up:
Gunn’s music is available to jam and purchase on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms. He’s got a ton of projects, so it’s fun to search his catalogue and get lost in the best moments of his prolific career. You can listen to The Trey Gunn Band’s 2000 album The Joy of Molybdenum in its entirety here.
Want some footage of Gunn playing the Warr Guitar with King Crimson? Check out this video of King Crimson performing “The Deception of the Thrush” live in Tokyo in 2003 here.
Check out Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto (TU) performing “Absinthe” live at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, NY in 2021 here.
Forlano’s music is available on Bandcamp and other major streaming platforms.
To get an idea of the kind of creative live performances he puts on, check out a hypnotic video of David Forlano and Barry Chabala’s Wavetrails 2024 here.
Check out a video clip promoting the duo’s new album Select Habits of Invertebrates here and a teaser for the Dec. 6 album release party here.
If you wanna grab tickets to the innovative show, visit the event page on the AMP Concerts website here.