Living the Liminal

Rachel’s

Websites: Artist Site, Label Site, LastFM, Wikipedia, New Gibralter Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock

Most Recent Album Release: Systems/Layers

Band Members:

Christian Frederickson – viola and laptop

Edward Grimes – drums, vibes and sampler

Rachel Grimes – piano and organ

Greg King – films and keyboards

Eve Miller – cello

Jason Noble – guitar, bass, and sampler

The older I get, the more often I find myself turning to instrumental music. Maybe because I can make up my own stories and make emotional connections in a freer and more improvisational way when the music is disconnected from other peoples words. Maybe because there are times, more and more often, when I need to concentrate on my own emotions and internal affairs and good instrumental music can offer a pathway into myself. Maybe because I’ve found some incredible bands making incredible music that straddles ideas of contemporary classical with avant garde and post-rock sensibilities.

Rachel’s is one such band.

Rather than write about how I discovered the band or give brief reviews of the various albums in their catalog, I’d like to share my impressions, song by song, of the album The Sea and the Bells. Widely viewed as one of the band’s masterpieces, this album is based on Pablo Neruda’s book of poems by the same name. Because I bought it as a digital download, I don’t have—and have never read—Neruda’s poems. I am interested to see what, if any, connections there might be between Neruda’s words and my own impressions created by the music based on those words. Moreover, I hope that the images and stories conjured by the Rachel’s might inspire to you check out their music.

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