michael chapman: the polar bear

The Polar Bear is the third album in Yorkshire-born composer, singer, guitarist, and maverick troubadour Michael Chapman's series of improvisational music. The first, 2011's The Resurrection and Revenge of the Clayton Peacock, was Wire magazine's #5 album of the year. It was widely well-received by press and fans alike as another highpoint in Chapman's 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, 2012's Pachyderm, 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 Bear's noise epic "Six, Two, Thirteen." The new record also features Chapman's experiments with cello accompaniment, as well as some pieces showcasing his own atmospheric slide guitar work -- further proof of Chapman's relentless search for new musical adventures. Almost half a century after his 1960s beginnings on EMI's legendary Harvest record label, Chapman, at age 73, is playing better than ever.