Steve Gunn has been a key presence in the Three Lobed universe since the 2006 release of the Heavy Elements CD. His dynamic growth as an artist in the years since — including his current Matador-backed full band work — has been a thrill to watch, to the point that it’s hard to pick favorites among his work. That said, it’s hard not to consider his duo work with John Truscinski among the very best. As this set demonstrates, improvisation between these two is almost an unspoken language at this point. Fans of the band’s most recent LP, Soundkeeper, which includes one of my Union Pool recordings, can attest that the band’s live improvisations can be some of their best work. Tonight’s first song was one such moment — an untitled new number that already feels like a forthcoming GTD classic. As to the rest of the set, it consisted of exactly those — “Banh Mi Ringtones” and “Ocean Parkway,” both from Three Lobed’s second GTD LP, Ocean Parkway. These renditions were as inspired and electric as the entire evening, perhaps never more so that the climactic interplay around the eight-minute mark of “Banh Mi.” This whole night — the whole festival — celebrated all that’s right with independent music. John and Steve are certainly a big part of that.
I recorded this set with Schoeps MK4V mics mounted on the center of the balcony, with a soundboard feed from Christopher Scully-Thurston’s mix. It sounds like it.
Gunn-Truscinski Duo
2022-04-16
Von der Heyden Studio Theater
Rubenstein Arts Center
Duke University
Durham, NC USA
Recorded and produced by acidjack
Live mix by Christopher Scully-Thurston
Schoeps MK4V (DFC, PAS)>KC5>CMC6 + Soundboard>>Sound Devices MixPre6>24/44.1 WAV>Audition>Audacity>FLAC
Tracks
01 [Rayborn intro]
02 [untitled new song]
03 Banh Mi Ringtones
04 Ocean Parkway
Much appreciated! The matrix recording sounds incredible
Fantastic, and very much appreciated as always.