CHAPMAN, MICHAEL - The Polar Bear

The Polar Bear is the third album in Yorkshire-born composer, singer, guitarist, and maverick troubadour Michael Chapmans series of improvisational music. The first, 2011s The Resurrection and Revenge of the Clayton Peacock (PTYT 068CD), was Wire magazines #5 album of the year. It was widely well-received by press and fans alike as another highpoint in Chapmans late-blooming career, which has been boosted by the public recognition of his talents from the likes of Thurston Moore, Jack Rose, and Will Oldham. The second in the series, 2012s Pachyderm (PTYT 070CD/LP), is a minimalist masterpiece, a single-chord ambient work quite unlike anything Chapman had ever done before. It won him further widespread supportive reviews and a sold-out UK tour with Moore; out of that tour comes the duo heard on The Polar Bears noise epic Six, Two, Thirteen." The new record also features Chapmans experiments with cello accompaniment, as well as some pieces showcasing his own atmospheric slide guitar work -- further proof of Chapmans relentless search for new musical adventures. Almost half a century after his 1960s beginnings on EMIs legendary Harvest record label, Chapman, at age 73, is playing better than ever." - Blast First Petite.