Night Air
Night Air Plus is a 2002 rarites / outtakes album by Blaine L. Reininger, containing his second solo album Night Air, as well as additional unreleased material from the early 1980s, including an unreleased track mixed by The Residents in 1982.
Background
From 1972 to 1987, The Residents were housed by their own personal record label known as 'Ralph Records'. Sometime in the mid 1970s, Ralph was bought by The Cryptic Corporation, who began to expand the label's line-up beyond just the one act. Some of the first bands introduced to the label after this included Snakefinger, Art Bears and Tuxedomoon. At the time Tuxedomoon was fronted by Steven Brown and Michael Belfer, but by the time their first album was being written, Belfer had left the group and Blaine Reininger had taken up position as co-leader with Brown and Peter Principle. The song The Residents are featured on, Crash, was written and recorded in 1980 for the sessions for the group's second album with Ralph, Desire, but was remixed by The Residents in 1982 during the sessions for Blaine's first solo album, 'Broken Fingers', which overlapped with The Residents' recording of The Tunes of Two Cities. The sessions followed his and the group's retirement from Ralph. The remix went unreleased for twenty years before this collection.
The album features Reinger collaborating with a large number of his Tuxedomoon bandmates, particularly with former co-leader Michael Belfer, who wrote a number of the album's songs with Reinger, including Crash. Current bandmate and Snakefinger collaborator Steven Brown also appears on this album as a member of Blaine's backing group. Gareth Jones, who had co-produced their second Ralph Records album, mixes, and Winston Tong, a band mate from 'Desire', makes a guest appearance as does Marc Hollander, from the Fred Frith band.
Track Listing
- Night Air (Reininger/Belfer) (4:01)
- Birthday Song (Ft. Winston Tong) (Reininger) (4:10)
- Beak People (Reininger/Belfer) (4:47)
- Mystery And Confusion (Reininger/Belfer) (4:15)
- Intermission (Ft. Marc Hollander) (Reininger) (2:06)
- Ash And Bone (Reininger) (6:19)
- L'Entree De L'Hierophante (Reininger/Belfer) (3:26)
- Un Café Au Lait For Mr. Mxyzptlk (Reininger) (5:22)
- Miraculous Absence (Reininger/Belfer) (3:47)
- El Mensajero Divino (Reininger) (5:36)
- Mystery And Confusion (7" Mix) (Ft. Robert Leff) (Reininger/Belfer) (4:01)
- Bizarre Bizarre (Ft. Patrick Bruyns) (Reininger/Goutier) (3:58)
- Windy Outside (Ft. Mikel Rouse) (Reininger) (6:42)
- Broken Fingers (Ft. Peter Principle) (Reininger) (4:57)
- Crash (Ft. Jeff Raphael) (Reininger/Belfer) (5:29)
- Crash (Remix) (Ft. The Residents) (Reininger/Belfer) (4:38)
Credits
- Blaine Reininger: Songwriter, Producer & Lyrics
- BLR: Vocals, Violin, Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Automaton Discipline on 'Mystery And Confusion (7" Mix)', Bamboo Flute on 'Bizarre Bizarre', Drumulator on 'Windy Outside', Violin on 'Broken Fingers'
- Gareth Jones: Mixing
- James Nice: Liner Notes
- Gilles Martin: Recording on all tracks except 'Windy Outside' & 'Crash'
- Michael Belfer: Co-Songwriter, Electric Guitar on all tracks except 'Mystery And Confusion', 'Bizarre Bizarre', 'Windy Outside', 'Broken Fingers', 'Crash' & 'Crash (Remix). Guitar on 'Mystery And Confusion', 'Crash' & 'Crash (Remix)'
- Alain Goutier: Co-Songwriter, Fretless Bass Guitar on all tracks except 'Bizarre Bizarre', 'Windy Outside', 'Broken Fingers', 'Crash' & 'Crash (Remix)', Keyboards, Percussion, Chapman Stick on 'Bizarre Bizarre'
- Steven Brown: Saxophone, Organ on all tracks except 'Mystery And Confusion (7" Mix)', 'Bizarre Bizarre', 'Windy Outside', 'Broken Fingers', 'Crash' & 'Crash (Remix)', Synthesizer on 'Birthday Song'
Guests
- Jeff Raphael: Drums on 'Crash'
- Winston Tong: Backing Vocals on 'Birthday Song'
- Marc Hollander: Clarinet on 'Intermission'
- Robert Leff: Drums on 'Mystery And Confusion (7" Mix)'
- Patrick Bruyns: Prepared Guitar on 'Bizarre Bizarre'
- Mikel Rouse: Keyboards & Drumulator on 'Windy Outside'
- Peter Principle: Occasional Drums & Backing Vocals on 'Broken Fingers'
- The Residents: Remix on 'Crash (Remix)'
Releases
| Year | Label | Format | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | LTM | CD | UK |
| 2017 | Les Disques Du Crépuscule | Belgium |