THE SKY ABOVE THE ROOF
part I - part II - part III - part IV
THE BAND
The visionary architect Richard Buckminster Fuller believed the triangle to be the perfect form, offering maximum efficiency for minimal structural effort – each component independent but unable to exist without the other two. A contradictory idea perhaps but if you wanted to sum up the singularly three-cornered Solus 3 in one word then that word might well be "contradiction".
At its core, Solus 3 is a group that is dedicated to improvisation but with an innate sense of pop structure making for uneasy listening that is also full of hooks. A three piece that is also a septet. A chamber group that doesn't play classical music. A power trio without an electric guitar. A bass that wants to lead, a harp that is often percussive, drums that bring melody – all producing an unearthly form of dance music that easily slips the moorings of traditional pulses and standard time.
These are the elements that came together in The Sky Above The Roof, a debut album that is a 45-minute conversation with many common threads and periods of accord, balanced by moments of profound musical disagreement. And as with many aspects of improvised music the very existence of Solus 3 is a culmination of happy accidents and unlikely coincidences.
THE HARP
Julia Thornton is probably best known for her two classical recital albums and a protracted stint as percussionist and harpist with Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. So, on the face of it, she was headed for unfamiliar territory when invited to play some improv sets with Lunar Dunes, the west London Krautrock/Psych big band propelled by what became the Solus 3 rhythm section: drummer Hamilton Lee (aka Mantu of Transglobal Underground) and bassist Ian Blackaby.
"Coming from a classically trained background it can be hard to step outside your box or, so to speak, think laterally," says Thornton. "I have been fortunate in having the opportunity to explore the harp as a rhythm instrument in the context of a band as opposed to an orchestra or more classical chamber setting. My work with Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music and more recently with The Metaphors has allowed me to explore and realise the harp's potential within a more popular musical environment. It's a great rhythm instrument, like the guitar or piano, and my experience as a percussionist also serves to enhance that.
"Improvisation is something feared by many classical musicians. I'm no exception. So many are taught to glue themselves to the manuscript. There comes a point where you just have to free yourself from the worries of playing the odd ‘bum note' and let go of your inhibitions. It isn't as easy as it sounds, but it gets easier the more you do it.
"My training enables me to do what I want to do technically and I now embrace playing with and ‘feeling' my way around a groove created by Hami and Ian, exploring colours and moods through various modes, scales and textures."