Guitarist Myles Boisen likens a Splatter Trio show to watching an artist paint: "...you get to see us creating our art in front of you rather than offering prepackaged musical experiences."
The name of the band reflects the messy act of creation: "We chose the name 'Splatter' because that's what we wanted the music to be like. Painterly, but also kind of bloody... half-Pollock and half-Peckinpah."
Splatter formed after saxophonist Dave Barrett (then a member of Club Foot Orchestra) saw a 1987 performance of John Zorn's Cobra Ensemble that included Myles and Gino. Years of collective experience with the likes of Anthony Braxton, ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Snakefinger, Fred Frith, and Dead Kennedys gave the three exceptional skill with experimentation and improvisation.
Rather than being slaves to song structure, they play with it. Gino calls structure "our main material, like sonic playdough... as if the playdough just sort of appears as we play." Myles says, "We don't get lost, but we also don't know where we're going."
When these musicians play together, they seem intent on surprising and delighting each other. They typically have no set list; instead, one of them starts playing something and the others play whatever makes sense at the time, sometimes complementing the other musicians, sometimes going off in a completely different direction. The result gives the audience a constantly changing stream of squawks, beats, swirls, jokes, splashes, and noise, an improv soundtrack for the listener's own private contribution.
"When the musicians play together each goes his own way, but they meet from time to time."
Cambodian proverb
Dave Barrett: saxophones, other winds, black eye
Myles Boisen: doubleneck electric guitar/bass, Casio
Gino Robair: drums, marimba
1. If Then 00:37
2. Crumple 01:36
3. Progress 01:24
4. Angry Instances 01:10
5. Splatter Waltz 03:00
6. Music (for Mingus) 05:19
7. Garden 03:27
8. Peck 'n Paw 01:53
9. Sunda 05:11
10. Python 05:43
11. Burnt Norton 01:53
12. '66 Station Wagon Theme 01:53
13. Cigarettes 04:43
14. Jesus deSade 04:32
15. Islam in Berdoo 06:08
16. Above Paradise 03:18
17. Outdiana 05:55
18. Shit Hits The Fan 02:58
19. KPFA Theme 00:12
20. Sheesh (Monk's Dilemma) 01:11
21. Dissolve/I Found My Thrill (for Miki) 03:07
22. Sludge Hiatus 02:28
23. If Then (Brief Reprise) 00:05
