MCM - 1900 – Hard Times

01. (1900) Hard Times
02. Raw Extremities
03. River Offering
04. Emergency Poncho
05. Mutual Assured Distraction
06. The Ground Above
07. Them Ain't Us
08. 30 Seconds Over Your Land
09. Esse'n'Emme
10. Unmatched Fragment
11. House of Deviants
12. For Every Color You Know

Total time: 58:05
Release date: 11/2007

MUSICIANS
Alex Masi – Guitar, Loops.
Randy Coven - Bass
John Macaluso - Drums

Three of the world’s most respected musicians in Alex Masi, Randy Coven and John Macaluso live on one stage with the soul intention of creating a moment in time. “MCM : 1900 – Hard Times” is a window to what happens during an MCM performance. Recorded at different shows from the trio’s live shows throughout the USA and Central America the album is an electrifying showcase of immense musicianship and vision.

“MCM : 1900 – Hard Times” is the result of spontaneous theme elaboration done on the spot with guitarist Alex Masi commenting, “The only written, composed parts are pretty obvious, most intros, some outros and occasionally some bit in the middle but each piece include at least 80% of improvisation”. Masi, Coven and Macaluso find the openness of the MCM material a welcome change to their normal fully scripted studio sessions with drummer John Macaluso stating, “MCM gives us an outlet for our need to let go of all the "do's and don’ts" associated with the life of a professional musician. Sometime the level of synchronicity among us is downright mysterious...when it happens it feels like "something" else is moving our hands and fingers and all we have to do is get out of our own way and let things happen”. Bassist Randy Coven’s adds on MCM approach, “Its absolute freedom from pre-fabricated structures and disregard of general expectations and that's exactly where we are in MCM, listen with your mind wide open.”

The trio’s goal in making the album was to try to convey the feeling of an MCM show to a bigger audience and show also a more immediate side than the one displayed on the previous studio album “Ritual Factory” (Lion Music). The musical influences of MCM come from everywhere - jazz, qawwali, drum n bass, heavy rock, hindu and carnatic music etc yet the freedom shown allows transitions between these genres. “MCM : 1900 – Hard Times” is freedom of expression at its peak from three of the most distinguished performers in music today.