The Happy End Problem

Background

The two suites on the album, "Imitation" and "The Happy End Problem" were composed by Frith for small ensembles of six and seven musicians. They were originally commissioned in 2003 by choreographer Amanda Miller for two dances for her The Pretty Ugly Dance Company. Both suites premiered at the Stadttheater in Freiburg, Germany, "The Happy End Problem" in May 2003 and "Imitation" in April 2004.

In "The Happy End Problem" Frith drew on elements from Igor Stravinsky's 1910 ballet, Firebird Suite. "Imitation" focused on Oriental elements and played on the Western world's perception of Japan. At the time, the shakuhachi player, Kikutsubo Day was a student of Frith's at Mills College in the United States, and he constructed "Imitation" around her playing.

Reception

A reviewer at Sea of Tranquility summed up the album with the following comment:

"Overall two highly accomplished and fascinating pieces of music, more perhaps for the classical enthusiast than the progger."

Track listing

1. "Imitation"
   1. "Ukon" (Frith) – 6:18
   2. "Kira" (Frith) – 5:37
   3. "Kio" (Frith, Scanlon) – 2:33
   4. "Tan" (Frith, Scanlon) – 3:05
   5. "Shi--o" (Frith) – 1:33
   6. "Beni" (Frith) – 3:52
   7. "Kasumi" (Frith) – 2:15
   8. "Sumi" (Frith) – 1:12
   9. "Hanabira" (Frith, Scanlon) – 3:48
2. "The Happy End Problem" (Frith) – 21:00

Personnel

Fred Frith – guitar, bass guitar, laptop instruments

Kikutsubo Day (1-9) – shakuhachi

Carla Kihlstedt – violin

William Winant – percussion

Theresa Wong (1-9) – cello

Patrice Scanlon – electronics, clarinet

Sheela Bringi (10) – flute

Heather Vorwerck (10) – cello

Wu Fei (10) – gu zheng

Sound and artwork

"Imitation" recorded at Guerrilla Recordings, Oakland, United States, February 2004

"The Happy End Problem" recorded at Guerrilla Recordings, Oakland, United States, February 2003

Engineered, mixed and mastered by Myles Boisen

Artwork by Tom Kurth