King Crimson Transcription Book Now Available

King Crimson: THRAK - The Complete ScoresThrough every lineup, the members of King Crimson created some of the most riveting music ever made. Now the first-ever transcription book of their music is available with THRAK – The Complete Scores. The book offers full-band transcriptions from the classic double-trio era that included six musicians: two guitarists, two bassists, and two drummers.

The low end was held down by Tony Levin on bass and Trey Gunn on Chapman Stick, who edited the book. Gabriel Riccio transcribed all the parts.

“A book of King Crimson transcriptions is a built-in contradiction – Crimson rarely steps in the same puddle twice,” Gunn says. “This is a band known for stretching beyond even its own limits, meaning most of the arrangements are given freedom to grow and change as the spirit moves. The approach Gabriel Riccio and I have taken with these THRAK recordings was to adhere strictly to what is on this record. While we’ve referred to the 2015 re-mixes and various live versions of the pieces, we have generally stayed with notating what is in the 1995 original mixes and performances.”

The book includes songs like “Dinosaur”, “VROOOM”, “THRAK” and more with each musicians part laid out next to each other, which provides some insight to the band’s sound. “THRAK has been one of the most challenging records to transcribe thanks to the dense 6-player arrangements,” Riccio explains. “This often made it difficult to tell who is producing each sound. The title track is perhaps the most exciting piece to see on paper, as many of the band’s greatest tricks are on display – hocketed polymeters, symmetrical scales, and fiery improvisation.”

THRAK – The Complete Scores is produced on high-quality paper in a 9″ by 12″ format with spiral binding for lay-flat-open read. It’s available now through BandCamp for $35.

King Crimson: THRAK - The Complete Scores (VROOOM excerpt)

THRAK – The Complete Scores Song List:

  1. VROOOM
  2. Coda: Marine 475
  3. Dinosaur
  4. Walking on Air
  5. B’Boom
  6. THRAK
  7. Inner Garden I & II
  8. People
  9. One Time
  10. Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream
  11. VROOOM VROOOM
  12. VROOOM VROOOM: Coda
  13. Cage (bonus track from the “VROOOM EP”)

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