Niblock Hooker Soldier First – Paiva River Songs

released on CD & digital formats, June 12th, 2026

Paiva River Songs is a remarkable studio collaboration between Phill Niblock, William Hooker, Dave Soldier, and David First. Soldier was the initiator who first presented the idea of the four artists working on a project together early on in the Covid pandemic. All were immediately intrigued, and after much discussion about how to proceed, Niblock decided his contribution would be field recordings he had made of the Paiva River in Portugal in 2010.

Going into the studio in November 2025, Soldier, First, and Hooker resolved, in the documentary spirit of Niblock’s audio, to keep things straightforward and acoustic, as if they were actually playing by a river in a manner that might be called “Free-Improv Americana”. They described the recording process as “one take without any interruption and no overdubs” adding: “There are mysteries surrounding this project, including what exactly is going on in the river track. Some of it sounds incredibly electronic in nature, and as much as Phill’s aesthetic was to generally let things be themselves, as in his films of people working…well, there’re some pretty inexplicable things that occur—disembodied voices, string basses, bells, etc. We guess they’re not actually there, but they’re not not there either. All we do know for sure is he used a hydrophone and a contact microphone fixed to a metal plate, both submerged in the rapidly flowing water to capture the river’s internal rhythms”.

These four varied and accomplished artists have much shared history in sub-formations, but as a quartet, Niblock was the central hub. Individually, both First and Soldier have performed Niblock’s works on numerous occasions and had pieces composed by Niblock specifically for them. This project and recording, however, marks the first time Soldier and First worked together artistically after over 40 years of friendship. Separately, Soldier and First have each performed and recorded for decades with Hooker. In what may be considered the true genesis of this recording, Niblock made a film of Hooker playing drums in 2021. Two more Niblock films featuring Soldier and First were to follow, but the continuing pandemic and then Niblock’s failing health intervened. After Niblock’s passing in 2024, First, Soldier, and Hooker performed a medley of traditional 19th century African-American spirituals together at a memorial for him with Niblock’s river sounds as a sonic bed. From there, with a renewed sense of mission, they pledged to finally finish a recorded version of their collaboration.

The result of all this is a unique entry in the deep catalogs of all four artists – none of them have ever created anything quite like it. The three surviving members of the quartet all felt passionately that they wanted to honor Phill Niblock’s incredible life and artistic vision, and are, in turn, honored that he entrusted them with his work, and the opportunity to carry out this project. 

Dave Soldier—violin, banjo
David First—guitar, harmonica, slide whistle, jews harp, voice
William Hooker—drums
Phill Niblock—river

All music recorded at Cowboy Technical Studios November 7th, 2025
Recorded and Mixed by Mario Viele
Mastered by Gene Paul

Special thanks to Katherine Liberovskaya and Jasper Niblock