photo Gabriela Leon
The "100 Years of Music" Project
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Steven Brown and Blaine L. Reiningerco-founders of legendary cult band Tuxedomoon, began their instrumental side project in 1981 as an offshoot of the recording of their second lp "Desire". They began to improvise for a show in a now defunct Brussels bar "Le Papaye Tropical" in an upstairs room equipped with an upright piano. The results of these sessions found their way into "The Ghost Sonata" their seminal postpunk opera, video and album. The pair decided they were on to something and a body of work appeared over the years, adjacent to their work in Tuxedomoon and their respective solo careers.It was only when they were approached to perform in Portugal in 1989 that they began to concentrate on this lineup. The concert in Lisbon, which appeared on Les Disques du Crepuscule as "100 Years of Music" became the operating template for the wide-ranging series of shows all around Europe which ensued during the early 1990's, most notably in Italy and France. Shortly after they completed work for a ballet in pre-war Croatia in 1992, released as "The Croatian Variations", Steven Brown left Brussels for Mexico, suspending operations on this format for a while. Their performance at Sala Nezahualcoyotl in Mexico City in October 1993 (later released as "Flower Songs") proved to be the last for the duo until now. While working with Belgian choreographer Thierry Smits in Brussels in a six-month residence on his dance project "Clear Tears, Troubled Waters", they decided that the time was ripe to revive this show and tour it again.Then, in 2014, long time friend Carlos Becerra suggested that they write something new together, and offered to release it on his "Independent Recordings" label. Blaine flew to Steven's home turf in Oaxaca and they began to compose the album called "Monte Alban" after the ancient ruins visible from Steven's backyard. In the live show, they will be performing choice selections from the classic show, enhanced by new compositions from the recent Brussels work and Monte Alban. 
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Click to play selection
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Music
Number Two
from "The Ghost Sonata" LP |
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Ombres Chinoise from "The Croatian Variations" |
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Tarantella from "Flower Songs" |
| The Ghost
Sonata from "The Ghost Sonata" LP |
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Pleasure from "The Croatian Variations" |
| Ouverture From the "Clear Tears" sessions |
| Incantato from the "Clear Tears" sessions |
| 6 from "Monte Alban" |
| contact / tuxedomoon page / recordings |
