Robert Fripp Interview - Cologne, June 15, 1998

Robert Fripp is interviewed by Michael Engelbrecht and Michael Frank in the lobby of a hotel in Cologne, Germany. The sound of an indoor fountain nearby obscures the questions being asked so the topics being discussed are listed below. "ME" and "MF" indicate who asks the questions.
Stating the obvious I'd nevertheless like to point out that this interview is a snapshot of Robert Fripp in 1998. A lot has happened since then, e.g. further incarnations of the band King Crimson and Toyah and Robert's Sunday Lunch on youtube.
Robert Fripp's answers made this interview a truly remarkable encounter for both my colleague and friend Michael Engelbrecht and me. We would like to thank him again for his time, insights and music.
Thank you also to my friend, band colleague and sometime member of Guitar Craft Michael Peters who helped me to prepare for this interview.

Michael Frank

0:00 ME beginnings of collaboration with Brian Eno
3:45 ME philosophy behind the sound of early Frippertronics albums
5:15 ME background of Soundscape albums of the mid-nineties
8:38 MF what's going on inside your head during improvisation ?
10:12 MF techniques for preparing oneself
11:49 MF is there something like mistakes ?
14:25 MF epiphanies in the act of listening to music
18:52 ME polarity of discipline and freedom in King Crimson's music
21:35 ME King Crimson 1981 – 1984
22.59 ME Projekct Two
25:24 ME first solo album “Exposure“
28:14 MF musical epiphanies in your life
37:18 MF how to cope with musical or business-related problems
44:46 ME dealing with aggressive journalism, reference to booklet of
King Crimson's live CD "Absent Lovers"
48:24 difficulties of working with King Crimson in Europe
51:08 ME pre-conceptions of audience
52.27 MF many rock bands don't improvise on stage anymore - why?
52:50 MF difficulties in listening to improvisations
55:02 MF “listening at“, “listening to“ and “listening through music“
reference to booklet of Robert Fripp's CD "Radiophonics"
1:01:45 ME music can still change you
1:03:33 MF chances of audience growing up in an age dominated by visual
presentation of music to get to a deeper understanding of
music
1:05:11 MF your first contact with looping-technique
1:08:19 MF reference to quote by Keith Tippett: “May music never become
just another way of making money", collaboration with Keith
Tippett