Perceptual Distortion by R-Three

"I'm probably as reluctant as anyone to try label my own music, but probably the best genres for this album include 'post-rock', 'math rock', 'dark wave', 'prog pop' and 'ambient'. It's definitely unique and not the kind of thing the big labels are churning out these days. The key to it is that it changes over time. Every song is different and as I bring in other musicians to contribute and as my style evolves, so does the music. 'Perceptual Distortion' is like a patchwork of music to trip out to, to reflect to. It's introspective but at the same time, every song has something for the listener. It's true, and it's real, but it's not a confessional. When you buy this album, you're buying a crafted work of art, you're not buying my own personal therapy sessions put to music.

"Part of what makes R-Three music unique is that while we use club friendly beats and loops, this is not background or dance music; there's a definite pop/rock ethic at work, even in the most adventurous pieces. Music and art are meant to engage you, not rest casually in the background like hotel art or elevator music. We're using sonic pallets from all genres to tell a story and take the listener somewhere they've never been before. And make no mistake, this is NOT casual music. Of course, it's not hard work either!"

R-Three picks up where our musical heroes leave off. If you like artists like Brian Eno, Greg Hale Jones, Talk Talk (Mark Hollis), O'Rang, Russell Mills/Undark, David Sylvian, Duran Duran / Arcadia, Radiohead or Peter Gabriel, you'll probably like R-Three. But R-Three is not a sound-alike project. We're on our own mission here and if our music ends up in the same CD collection as that of our heroes, that's an honor, but it's not the goalR-Three has created an original work that has been described as a "cross genre piece of work that is neatly stitched together on a centrally themed cut of silk" (The Babbler).

The Songs:

Little bitter love - This acid-jazz-inspired tune is about wanting to leave the world a fairer, more peaceful place than I found it, but still not being able to transcend my own petty and competitive urges enough to be happy for my friends and loved ones when good things happen to them. Some days it's harder to walk the talk than on others, you know?

Secrets - "The problem is not propaganda, but the relentless control of the kinds of things we think about" - Brian Eno. Secrets addresses the hidden threads of political landscape, consumer culture, and mass media as it distorts our perception of the world and manufactures concent for unhealthy policies and cultural shifts that ultimately work against our best interests as individuals. Secrets features live drums by Bob Gaut (from Solari and Hamilton, formerly of hard rock band Velocity fame http://cdbaby.com/cd/velocity ) Secrets (Radio edit) is a radio length edit of the song featuring an additional vocal performance and a louder, deeper mix. The radio edit is featured on Perceptual Distortion as a bonus track.

The Wolf I Feed - A Native American grandfather said to his grandson, "I feel as if I have 2 wolves fighting in my heart. One is angry, vengeful, & violent, while the other is loving & compassionate." The boy asked, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?" The grandfather answered, "The one I feed." This infectious electropop number combines Middle and Far Eastern musical elements with rock rhythm and guitars to express a personal reaction to the aftermath of 9/11.

Elsa Green - Deliberately understated, intimate vocals, melancholy piano and subtle rhythms set the tone for this intoxicatingly off-beat ballad urging a former lover to love herself instead of continually damaging herself against the men who can't. Any woman who believes she needs the approval of her man to be whole, beautiful or strong, this song is for her.

Celluloid Erosion - Beginning with sampled film hiss and a musical fragment from Jean Cocteau's film 'Blood of a Poet', Celluloid Erosion is "Incredibly melodious in parts and brilliantly dissonant in others. It grooves, it trips and it seriously warps your head. I can't help feeling that this is what Fred Frith or John Zorn would come out with were they to jump on the electronica bandwagon. A bandwagon that suffers from a lack of originality in most cases. Well, if you thought that applied to most electronica, here is one of those wonderful exceptions that fiercely sticks its fingers up at authority and rips the rule book up." -Gordon Bell, Babbler Online

Perceptual Distortion - Inspired by the groundbreaking works of electronic/ambient pioneers Karl-Heinz Stockhausen and Brian Eno, the title track of the album explores the "...distorted perceptions that are promoted by our success driven, consumer oriented, possessive minded society." - Kerry Dennis

Lazy I is an electropop tune that grooves along for the sake of the groove. No message, just the love of good music.

Breathe Memoria - Appearing in a much abridged form in the original score for the film "Holocaust in my Body", Breathe Memoria is an ambient journey utilizing samples from the film, a Theremin, and a shortwave radio in addition to a bed of synths and guitars, that begins with Steve Sisgold's experiences as he "confronts the shadows of the past; embracing deep feelings of anger and sadness while visiting a men's barracks at Birkenau (Auschwitz II); co-healing in Berlin with the son of a World War II German officer who still suffers from the effects of the Holocaust and cleaning up an abandoned Jewish cemetery near where his grandparents lived in Warsaw" and ends with a quiet questioning about the nature of God; whether we are entitled to having our expectations fulfilled or if "God" isn't better understood another way.

The Golden Center - Skot Travis was blindingly talented, yet only ever completed a handful of poorly recorded demos that do little justice to his musical and vocal brilliance. He was tender yet abusive, self destructive and supportive, full of life and dead by 35. This song was written for Skot, who died too young by accident/on purpose. There's something in his story for the rest of us, relevant for every person who buys "the right car", the "right brand", takes "the right drug" or hangs out with the "right crowd" in order to feel attractive and complete. The Golden Center isn't a song about death; it's a song about life.

Prelude to Silence - A cyclical mantra featuring a medley of song elements that reinforce and echo the themes pervading the album. Why do we have to learn the same lessons over and over again?

---

'Perceptual Distortion' invites the listener who's ready for something new to "...drift into this celluloid technicolour extravangaza for the ears. A real recommended trip it is indeed." (The Babbler Ezine)

If you enjoyed ground-breaking albums like "Kid-A", "Amnesiac", "Us", "Up", "The Flat Earth", The Magical Mystery Tour", "Amused to Death", "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts", "On Land", "Tago Mago", "Laughing Stock", "Spirit of Eden", "Rain Tree Crow", "The First Day", "Plight and Premonition", "Disintegration", "Medazzaland" or "Try Whistling This", you will enjoy "Perceptual Distortion".

Average Customer Review: