--Double CD!-- Hong Kong bassist/composer Peter Scherr's first release as a leader is now available. The "Blue Album", which was recorded in June '03, features a starry cast of top Australian and American musicians, all contributing enthusiastically to help realise a unique musical concept. Simon Barker - drums (Sydney, Australia) Bruce Huron - tenor saxophone (New York, USA) Guy LeClaire - guitar (Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong) Matt McMahon - piano (Sydney, Australia) Peter Scherr - double bass/composer (Hong Kong) The project focuses on arch forms created by stating hauntingly simple musical ideas and gradually overwhelming them with an increasingly intense and chaotic texture. At the arches' apex, there is a usually a sudden change to an unrelated texture, which subsides gradually - even grinding to a halt in one case. These pieces are generally of symphonic proportions and develop surprising power. The arch forms alternate with ambient pieces -relatively static treatments which calmly allow small portions of the original melodic material to be stated over a hypnotic and reflective tapestry of sound. These are very much inspired by Brian EnoÝs concept of ambient music, though they are perhaps unique in that they were originally performed by a live group of musicians, using acoustic instruments and treated during the post production process while most ambient works are the result of careful layering in an electronic music studio. "The Blue Album" is the first in a series of recordings to come out on the boutique 1/Hr. Music label, which will specialise in creative and experimental music originating in the Pacific Rim. "The Blue Album" was recorded in Peter Scherr's new studio in the New Territories of Hong Kong. He expects to record a lot of the material for 1/Hr. Music here. Peter Scherr has been living in Hong Kong since 1989, and has made his home here. He is proud to be a part of things in Hong Kong, and looks forward to contributing to musical culture here through performance, teaching, recording and other activities.