Jem Finer: GTR

I've met Jem Finer a couple of times. I'm a big fan of the Longplayer 1,000 year composition that Jem put together (described in his book), and, after my first visit there in 2003, I made a moderate donation to the project, and encouraged others to do so via my blog. Jem emailed me in relation to my donation (Longplayer runs on a shoestring, and he seems to do all the admin and general day-to-day jobs). Shortly after that we found that, entirely by coincidence, his blog and mine were both hosted by the same guy. It was only on my later visits to Longplayer at Trinity Buoy Wharf that I met Jem — it's open on the first Saturday and Sunday of the month, and he's responsible for opening it as well.

Anyway, it was in Spring 2004 that I went to Jem's website to order the soundtrack he'd done for the film Gallivant, after seeing it in Soho. I sent off my Paypal tenner. A few days later, a package arrived with two CDs — the one I'd ordered and GTR — plus a kind note from Jem explaining the extra one was a gift. Bless him!

Like Longplayer, the tracks on GTR are written with Supercollider. In 2003 and 2004, I did two courses myself to try and learn Supercollider (one with John Eacott, the other with Fabrice Mogini). Having next to no experience of programming and only a vague grasp of the principles of synthesis, I failed to get a grip on it at all. Andy Diagram was on the same two courses as me, and I take some consolation from the fact that, last time I spoke to him, he hadn't managed to make any practical use out of what he'd picked up either.

I forget the details, but I think Jem has some heavyweight physics and computing credentials in his background, and he's clearly managed to get his head round Supercollider. (There are more details about it on his website.) The treated guitar miniatures that make up this album are in a way like Frippertronics updated with more processing power. Except that, as you'd expect from a Pogue, they are more playful and have more of the feel of spit-and-sawdust saloon bar than the devotional music that Fripp makes.

Listen to samples and order this CD direct