Description
The Blue Humans Featuring Rudolph Grey – To Higher Time – Compact Disc
The Blue Humans Featuring Rudolph Grey – To Higher Time is a live album that showcases the avant-garde, free-form approach of The Blue Humans, with guitarist Rudolph Grey leading the way in a powerful exploration of noise, improvisation, and experimental jazz. Released in 1993, the album captures the raw energy of The Blue Humans’ performance style, defined by Grey’s atonal, jagged guitar work, which pushes the boundaries of conventional music structures. Known for blending elements of free jazz, no-wave, and punk, To Higher Time is a dynamic experience for listeners drawn to sonic experimentation.
The album is marked by its lack of traditional song structures, opting instead for extended pieces that rely on intense, spontaneous interactions between the musicians. Grey’s guitar work is aggressive and abstract, incorporating distortion, feedback, and rapid shifts in tone and dynamics. He is joined by collaborators who bring their own experimental elements—usually with the chaotic energy of drums and dissonant, atmospheric sounds—adding to the frenetic feel of the recording.
To Higher Time has an improvisational jazz ethos but with a harsh, unfiltered edge, more in line with the no-wave movement and free-form noise rock than with traditional jazz. Grey’s guitar is often distorted to the point of becoming a wall of noise, and the album emphasizes raw, visceral playing over melody or harmony. It’s an intense, unrestrained listening experience, capturing a sense of urgency and defiance.
Notable Tracks and Performance Highlights
‘To Higher Time’ – The title track is a sprawling, energetic piece that epitomizes the group’s approach. The interplay between the musicians is relentless, with Grey’s guitar at the forefront, blending feedback-heavy riffs with unpredictable shifts.
To Higher Time holds a special place in the niche of avant-garde and experimental music. For listeners familiar with Grey’s work and the no-wave scene, the album is celebrated as a bold statement, a testament to the power of improvisation and the artistic freedom inherent in noise music. While it didn’t reach mainstream audiences, it has a dedicated following among fans of free jazz, noise rock, and experimental music who appreciate its uncompromising and intense sound.
To Higher Time serves as both an introduction to Rudolph Grey’s radical approach to guitar and an exploration of the possibilities within free-form music, highlighting The Blue Humans’ ability to capture the chaotic beauty of pure improvisation. For fans of extreme, boundary-pushing music, the album offers a raw, challenging, and ultimately rewarding listening experience.
Recorded Live At CBGB October 12, 1990
New Alliance Records
Song List
To Higher Time
