Art Bears Revisited

***Art Bears Revisited*** is a 2003 double tribute album dedicated to *Ralph Records* artists Art Bears. Former label owners and collaborators The Residents contribute one track to it. It also features contributions from Residents collaborators *Fred Frith* and *Chris Cutler,* who were also members of Art Bears.

## Background

*Art Bears* were formed in 1978 during the disablement of experimental rock group Henry Cow by members Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, and Dagmar Krause. In 1978 and 1979, Art Bears released their first two albums, the second of which, *Winter Songs*, attracted the attention of *Ralph Records* and *The Cryptic Corporation,* who purchased the US release rights to the album. Following the release of the album, Fred Frith and Chris Cutler began working with The Residents, with Frith appearing on as a guest on the *Subterranean Modern* anthology album, as well as on The Commercial Album as a 'particularly hard working guest'. Cutler also began working with The Residents closely, acting as a core collaborator during the later Eskimo sessions as well as on the Commercial Album.

Shortly before that, Cutler had formed his own personal record label, following in the footsteps of The Residents with Ralph, titled '*Rē Records*'. Initially designed to release Cutler's own material, it eventually grew a large catalogue of acts, and was rebranded ReR Megacorp in 1988.

About eight years later Chris Cutler saw that the label's 21st anniversary was vast approaching and began compiling a tribute album for Art Bears to celebrate it. Bob Drake was put in charge of engineering and mastering the sessions.

The first two tracks mixed were not intended for an album of any kind. The first was Chris Cutler's track from January of 1996, 'Three Bear Rooms' mixed at Midi Pyrenees Studios. This track was made up of drum samples from the first three Art Bears LPs with slight overdubs. The second track recorded was by Ossatura, who decided to mix newly recorded materials with samples from the original Art Bears LPs to envision what a collaboration between the two would look like. This track took several years to complete.

The project finally got off the ground in the Summer of 1998, when Jon Rose was asked to contribute, who overdubbed violin and piano to The Violin In Winter. The album continued smoothly after that, with many artists being asked to contribute and a 2000 release date in mind. In January of 2000 three artists were asked to contribute, Massimo Simonini, Roberto Musci / Giovanni Venosta / Massimo Mariani, and *The Residents*. The Residents were in the middle of creating their *Icky Flix* film and were about to fly to Germany to record overdubs for their Roadworms album, but found time to remix two tracks from the Winter Songs LP, The Bath of Stars and The Skeleton. The group were given full access to the album's original 16 track tapes and session time to remix it.

By October of 2000, the album was ready to be released, but a sudden change of heart lead to Cutler shelving it briefly.

In Spring of 2001 the project was reignited when Biota was asked to create a remix of Winter Songs, which lead to a total revival of the project which made up the entirety of disc two. It was finally completed in September of 2003, and was released shortly afterwards.

To add one final cherry to the release, Fred Frith and Chris Cutler reunited to record a song written during the Winter Songs sessions, 'Carved In Stone (Rebirth)'. It was completed on June 29th, 2003. The album was later included in a 7 disc box set called *The Art Box*.

## Track Listing

***Disc One (1:16:19)***

1. Jon Rose - The Violin In Winter (3:48)
2. Ossatura - Tranne Lacrimae (Bar Tears) (4:06)
3. Otomo Yoshihide / Ground Zero - On Suicide (5:42)
4. Massimo Simonini - Artico & Baci (3:31)
5. When / Lars Pedersen - The Tube (2:38)
6. Warrick Sony / Kalahari Surfers / DJ Ballard - Rats And Moneys Remix (3:09)
7. John Oswald - Time / Bye (5:02)
8. Chris Cutler - Three Bear Rooms (4:42)
9. Roberto Musci / Giovanni Venosta / Massimo Mariani - World As It Hopes In Winter (3:51)
10. The Residents - Bath Of Stars / The Skeleton (4:50)
11. Yasushi Utsunomiya - Tokusa-No-Kandakara (91 Pieces Of 'C') (2:57)
12. Herb Heinz - The Skeleton (2:53)
13. Martin Archer - Long Winter (4:59)
14. Jon Leidecker / Wobbly - Winter / War / Force (4:00)
15. Fred Frith - Everything Again (4:15)
16. Jocelyn Robert - Coquelicot (7:05)
17. Art Bears - Collapse (4:48)
18. Art Bears - All Hail (4:03)

***Disc Two (49:49)***

1. Roger Kleier - Armed Peace Remix (2:33)
2. Bob Drake - Song Of The Monopolists (1:15)
3. Andrea Rocca - The Three Wheels Remix (2:42)
4. Vitor Rua - Gold (1:20)
5. Brian Woodbury - The Fourth Wheel (4:01)
6. Chris Cutler - The Three Figures (1:03)
7. Bob Drake - First Things First: The Mix That Should Not Be (2:54)
8. Stevan Tickmayer - Monopolists Democracy (4:17)
9. Annie Gosfield - All Is Encompassed In The Night (Part 1) (1:35)
10. Annie Gosfield - All Is Encompassed In The Night (Part 2) (1:35)
11. Annie Gosfield - All Is Encompassed In The Night (Part 3) (1:37)
12. Biota - Summer Mix (Part 1) (4:08)
13. Biota - Summer Mix (Part 2) (2:47)
14. Biota - Summer Mix (Part 3) (4:10)
15. Biota - Summer Mix (Part 4) (3:09)
16. Thomas Dimuzio - Democracy Remix (4:19)
17. Christian Marclay - Some Truth (4:44)
18. Art Bears - Carved In Stone (Rebirth) (1:40)