by Greg Prato The five selections that make up Robert Fripp's 1999 album were selected from 12 different live, improvised performances recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1994. And although some King Crimson fans will be confused by Fripp's musical departure, he's said that his soundscape material is his most immediate and personal work, since the improvised performances can change from night to night, depending on the circumstances. Also, it is pretty fascinating just how many different tones, colors, and textures Fripp creates with just a guitar, guitar synthesizer, and effects pedals (it sounds almost like a full electronic orchestra at times). Fripp also chose not to edit or cut any of the songs on 1999 (except for one), so the songs sound exactly the way they did when Fripp first improvised them in front of an Argentinean audience back in '94. If you want to check out Fripp's Frippertronics technique, which he talks about often in interviews (Fripp describes the technique as being based on "delay, repetition, and hazard"), 1999 is an adequate introduction.