the FOURTH NIGHT: Bernhard Wagners' beautiful new CD reviewed

["loop.pool" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I had an amazing musical week.................taking in Goth night with 
new 
DJs;  seeing Nine Inch Nails
rip it up at the Santa Cruz Civic; performing live looping with video 
accompaniement at Gavilan College's New Digital Media Center;
playing acoustic traditional jazz with really good musicians in Pebble 
Beach.

The week was full of a huge variety of really excellent music and I rented 
a 
car with a fantastic stereo
 to get to everything.

My constant companion on those long drives to and from the gigs was the 
brilliant new CD by Bernhard Wagner,
the talented guitarist from Zurich, Switzerland.

After listening to all that music....................going out 
clubbing............seeing NIN rage at the Civic,  I cannot
get the title track to "The Fourth Night" out of my head.    It's as 
compelling a piece of music as I've heard
in a good long while and it really attests to the excellence of this first 
output by Bernhard that it sticks in
my head so much.

I've seen Bernhard play a few times now and so it was a pleasant surprise 
to 
hear him sing on (only ) the title track.
He has a really nice voice and I truly hope he continues to sing on 
subsequent outings.  I can't say enough good things
about this1st track.  I simply love it.

"The Fourth Night" is also a perfect late night driving home 
CD...................and by the time you are completely lulled by
the minor scales and the polyrhythmic interplay of long fading delay lines 
that make the record so trippy and delicious
Bernhard will suddenly change up and bring really fascinating and 
challenging new music timbres into the mix.

This is my kind of late night listening.................there are definite 
ambient qualities to the music but it is constantly morphing
into new and unheard territory.

In the center suite of tunes that run from track 3 through 
6.............it 
is not until several minutes into the fifth track that the guitar
tones suddenly add distortions and then takes a sudden left turn with 
glitchy replacements of the original piece.
The tracks have individual names here but these three piece really read as 
one long piece.

Track 7, "Le Menhir"  takes the most chances on the record and is one of 
my 
favorite pieces.   Bernhard's use of the
replacement functions in the Gibson EDP is really exquisite on this piece. 
Challenging the ear of the listener but never
completely alienating nor losing site of the melody and mood of the piece. 
It's really a great track.

Track 8,  "La Lueur"  hits a loop at around 8 minutes that is what Peter 
Gabriel should be including in his most recent outputs
(instead of what he is).................This loop would make a fantastic 
pop 
song if developed along those lines.................or maybe
Gabriel should just hire Bernhard Wagner to play in his band.  It would be 
a 
fitting place for this expansive and talented guitarist.

That's another thing I love about this recording:   There are constantly 
times where I could hear really good pop songs coming from loops or 
passages 
that he plays and yet the CD is not a pop record in the slightest.

Right at the end of the record on Track 9, "Math Town"  it suddenly 
changes 
up and gets the most funky and almost dance oriented that the whole record 
has to offer.    It's cool piece and as a drummer, I was itching to lay 
down 
some fat groove over it.

Bernhard finishes off the CD with a brief reprise of the wonderful title 
track....................playing the CD on continuous play I went through 
the whole thing twice a couple of times and it just all flowed perfectly.

What's wonderful about this record is that at several points it hints at 
being a different project.................ambient,  experimental, pop, 
funk............and yet,  it all remains a cohesive whole.  It is really 
rhythmic and yet, there isn't a drum set to be heard on the whole thing.

It's really an impressive first outing and I can't wait to hear what 
Bernhard Wagner has up his sleeve for his next CD.

Go out and buy this CD for yourself or a loved one for Christmas.  You'll 
be 
glad you did.

Rick Walker
loop.pool