Bill Bruford's Earthworks
Inter-media Arts Center-a.k.a. IMAC
Huntington, NY
1992-03-20

Bill Bruford-acoustic and electronic drums & percussion
Iain Ballamy-keyboards, saxophone
Django Bates-keyboards, e flat tenor horn
Tim Harries-acoustic and electric bass

lineage/source-audience capture from presumed DAT source acquired in trade> Audacity for work outlined below> TLH for torrent creation> DIME

01 set 1 Stromboli Kicks 7:50
02 set 1 BB stage talk 1:07
03 set 1 Up North 6:06
04 set 1 Libreville 7:09
05 set 1 BB band intros 1:07
06 set 1 A Stone's Throw 8:07
07 set 1 My Heart Declares a Holiday 6:59
08 set 1 Emotional Shirt 5:36
09 set 2 BB set intro 1:15
10 set 2 Pigalle 9:24
11 set 2 Pilgrim's Way 7:03
12 set 2 Nerve 8:04
13 set 2 BB speaks 1:09
14 set 2 Candles Still Flicker in Romania's Dark 8:48
15 set 2 All Heaven Broke Loose 7:30
16 set 2 Bridge of Inhibitions (missing everything up to Bruford drum solo) 5:06


This is the original Earthworks quartet that had been active from about 1986-1992. It revolved around Django Bates and Iain Ballamy on electric keys and horns, Bill Bruford on a hybrid drum kit that prominently featured midi triggering of synthesizers along with conventional cymbals, snare, and sundry percussion. Tim Harries was playing electric and acoustic basses for much of that time, but Mick Hutton held that role on the earliest gigs and recording. There aren't many recording that I know of from the band at this time, shortly after their All Heaven Broke Loose release. There is a soundboard from an evening in Philadelphia a few days earlier than this Huntington appearance, along with a BBC capture from May of 1992. Each of them has been shared before, but neither is currently on the tracker. There also was an official live release around this time called Live-Stamping Ground.
I live on Long Island and often went to IMAC while it still operated under that name. I went to this show, but I'm not sure where I got this recording. Whoever made it available to me certainly is deserving of thanks, as is the recorder who captured this. I'm presuming it came then via a DAT recorder, but I can't be sure. You will hear the recorder speaking here and there between track with a companion, who seemed to be helping them determine the length of performances.
I've reworked this from what I'd originally gotten. The sonics have been reworked now, along with the tracking. All of that was done via tools in Audacity. There was a definite need to address the recording to bring out more clarity and depth. Check the samples to see what you'll now be getting. As for the tracking, taking Bill's announcement as well as my own IMAC memories, I'm assuming there were 2 single admission sets, but I'm not sure that this includes all of the tracks played. It also only includes Bill's solo going into the end of the closing Bridge of Inhibitions.
Finally, it's unclear how well circulated this show ever was. I didn't find it in either the dimebot archive or etree. If it's new to anyone, that's great. To any Bruford fan, it'll give you a potential other new listen to go along with the recently released Pete Roth Trio album. Enjoy, and thanks again to whoever recorded this, and those who got it to me.