Recorded on February 7th, 2009, at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, the aptly named Knoxville, documents the first meeting of three of the most recognized players in experimental music. Christian Fennesz (guitar and electronics), David Daniell (guitar), and Tony Buck (drums) were brought together and encouraged to collaborate by the festival, and used the opportunity to channel their collective energies into a darkly atmospheric piece of music that ebbs and flows with remarkable cohesion. Minimalist drum passages scatter over the top of textured layers of guitar and subsumed melodic sequences, eventually giving way to warm beds of evolving, tactile drones. Sonic rain showers roll into full-blown thunderstorms of effected guitar and pounding drums only to yield a field of shattered electronic and percussive debris. For never having played together (aside from a brief soundcheck), the three retain a remarkable sense of unity while allowing plenty of room for each person to express their individual personality.

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