Rieflin began his professional career in his hometown of Seattle. In 1975, he was The Telepaths, a band which played backup for a couple of live gigs by the pre-The Screamers band The Tupperwares. He played drums for The Blackouts starting in 1979. His bandmates included his brother Raymond, Paul Barker, Roland Barker and Erich Werner. Eventually that band dissolved and Paul Barker joined the nascent Ministry. Rieflin's earliest collaboration with Al Jourgensen was on the second single by the Revolting Cocks, You Often Forget. Later, he participated in the creation of Ministry's ground-breaking album The Land of Rape and Honey. He was noted for his performance in the live video In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live), which featured not only his precision percussion (alongside fellow drummer Martin Atkins), but Rieflin's genteel fashion sense. His work with Ministry and its side projects lasted through to the mid-Nineties, though he notes that he was never credited as a member of Ministry proper, always as an "other" musician. Therefore, when he parted ways with the band during the Filth Pig sessions, he didn't really quit since he was never an official member.[2]
Rieflin helped Atkins kick off Pigface, the industrial collective that would grow to incorporate hundreds of artists, formed a friendship with labelmate Chris Connelly and founded First World Music. Like Connelly, Rieflin's work has grown beyond his industrial roots. They have collaborated on several recordings; two in particular, The Ultimate Seaside Companion (as "The Bells") and Largo, showcase Rieflin's frequently overlooked keyboard skills.
Living in Seattle gave Rieflin the opportunity to build relationships with other prominent musicians including Robert Fripp and Trey Gunn of King Crimson, Scott McCaughey of the Young Fresh Fellows, Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM and Peter Buck of R.E.M.. Fripp contributed to Rieflin's solo debut, Birth of a Giant, which also featured Rieflin singing in something other than a background role. Improvisations from these sessions turned up later on the CD The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior. Rieflin has appeared on most KMFDM records released since the mid-Nineties, credited as a drummer, programmer, vocalist and keyboardist. He toured with the band as a bassist in 2002 in support of its comeback album, ATTAK. He also drummed for McCaughey's band, The Minus 5, which occasionally included Peter Buck. Eventually Buck offered Rieflin the opportunity to sit in with R.E.M., who were missing a permanent drummer since the 1997 departure of Bill Berry. The band gave him the live drummer slot in its 2003 tour. They later announced that Rieflin would fill the role indefinitely, though once again as an "other" musician rather than as an official member.
Rieflin maintained a weblog through the end of 2004. In it, he ruminated on his day-to-day doings and mental state, recounted the exploits of his two cats, Pim and the Egg, and obliquely referred to his fellow musicians.
Rieflin began a music collaboration 'band' project entitled The Humans that consistef of him, Chris Wong and Toyah Willcox. The band performed a series of live dates in Estonia in Autumn 2007 and 2009. The band released their debut album "We are the Humans" on May 1, 2009.
In 2012, Rieflin performed on drums for Robbie Williams's album Take the Crown.
In 2013, Robert Fripp announced a new lineup for King Crimson that included Rieflin as one of the band's three drummers.
Solo discography:
Birth of a Giant with Robert Fripp and Trey Gunn
The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior with Robert Fripp and Trey Gunn
Largo with Chris Connelly
Unreal
Bill Rieflin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our experience will blend us in your sight Our
Experience will blend us in with the stars No
We'll never know how unreal we are And when the
Cool light flows and 10 million sleep Our
Experience will blend in with your sightless
Dreams,
Unreal
Through the sky And we'll shine like steel in a
Clear white fire We'll taste your honey mouth and
Kiss your eyes like mirrors And fill your body up
With 10 million tears Our experience is shiffing,
Your body's made of clear light We'll blend in
With your image - a picture draamed by the
Blind,
Unreal.
The lyrics to Bill Rieflin's song "Unreal" convey a sense of detachment and displacement from reality. The opening lines, "When the cool light flows through 10 million minds," suggest a collective experience that will merge individuals into a singular entity. The use of "cool light" creates a sense of distance and detachment, as though the experience will be surreal and otherworldly. The repetition of the phrase "Our experience will blend us in with" reinforces this sense of blending and merging, creating an image of individuals losing their individuality and becoming part of something greater than themselves.
The chorus, "No we'll never know how unreal we are," further emphasizes the sense of detachment from reality. The singer seems to suggest that this merging of individuals will create something that is both real and unreal, existing in a liminal space between the two. The second verse continues this theme, referencing "sightless dreams" and the idea of telepathy allowing individuals to "shoot through the sky." The imagery of shining "like steel in a clear white fire" creates a sense of transformation and transcendence.
Overall, these lyrics suggest a longing for connection and unity, but also a fear of losing oneself in the process. The use of surreal imagery and detached language creates a sense of unease and uncertainty, emphasizing the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.
Line by Line Meaning
When the cool light flows through 10 million minds
As soon as the cool light flows in the minds of 10 million people.
Our experience will blend us in your sight Our
Our own experience will blend us with the observer.
Experience will blend us in with the stars No
Our experience will make us blend with the stars and universe.
We'll never know how unreal we are And when the
It is impossible for us to know how unreal we are, even when the conditions are favourable.
Cool light flows and 10 million sleep Our
When cool light flows and 10 million people sleep.
Experience will blend in with your sightless Dreams,
Our experience will merge with the dreams of the dispossessed.
Unreal
Unreal
Through telepathy we'll shoot
We will be able to shoot through telepathy.
Through the sky And we'll shine like steel in a Clear white fire We'll taste your honey mouth and
We will travel through the sky and shine like steel in a clear white fire. We will have the sweet honey taste of humans.
Kiss your eyes like mirrors And fill your body up With 10 million tears Our experience is shiffing,
We will kiss the eyes like mirrors and fill the body with tears, due to a shifting experience.
Your body's made of clear light We'll blend in With your image - a picture draamed by the Blind,
Your opaque body is made of clear light and we will blend with your image, which is like a dream for the vision-impaired.
Unreal.
Unreal.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Josh Paul Davis, Jules Merrill Blattner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ふじつぼろーひー
2015年のKING CRIMSONの東京公演の終了後、私は出待ちをしていました。
メンバーが出て来たとき、Bill Rieflinさんは私たちの近くまで来てくれました。
待っていた皆さんにサインをしてくれました。
とても優しい人だと思いました。
Tony Levinさん、素晴らしいTributeをありがとうございます。
Rest in peace Bill Rieflin.
Edoardo Antonini
Rest in peace, Mr Rieflin. A very moving tribute.
Bridgett Chandler
Peace be upon his soul. What a gift. Was lucky enough to see him with King Crimson in Seattle last year. Comfort to all who grieve and miss him. Listen to his music! ;)
Steve Seager
Beautiful music and images, Tony. Bill's energy comes through. My condolences.
mrdood740
Very nice tribute, man. I knew pretty much nothing about Mr. Rieflin until the KC tours started a few years ago. He was apparently an extraordinarily well liked person and I'm sorry you lost a great friend.
charlyW34
The most essential, most loved, and forever remembered musicians are always kind, generous and gracious people.
Bill Rieflin was abundant with those qualities. Talent and dedication to his craft made him great. Creating joy for
others will be his legacy. Thank you Mr. Levin.
Ricky Tenderkiss
“The Hell Hounds of Krim” was one of the highlights of that first triple-drummer tour, really glad I got to see Mr. Rieflin perform, with a number of groups but with K.C. especially. Really engaging player! I was shocked and saddened to hear he’d died, I can only imagine how his collaborators must feel. Much love to you all.
_fedemalu_
beautiful photos and a moving tribute to a great artist.
FlemFlam310
This is beautiful Tony— Bill is certainly missed... ❤️ Thank you
Jim Rosen
Such a lovely tribute. The photos and music really made a perfect statement that celebrates his life while also lamenting our loss.
boboquisp
Wonderful tribute, Tony, thank you. RIP Bill.