05 February 2016

RECOMMENDATION #88 - FIVE GUITARS FOR TONY CONRAD

FIVE GUITARS FOR TONY CONRAD - FIVE GUITARS FOR TONY CONRAD
auasca 2016, edition of 65

"recorded live at issue project room, october, 2010 - john bohannon, tom carter, eric hardiman, ray hare, michael hentz" - AUASCA

new label outta brooklyn kicks off with an insanely strong batch of tapes - DISMAL LIGHT, FORMER SELVES and this one-off masterpiece FIVE GUITARS FOR TONY CONRAD

an incredible listening experience, an hour long meditative guitar drone performance featuring TOM CARTER, ANCIENT OCEAN, HEAVY HYMNS and members of BURNT HILLS, flickering about a singular tonal trajectory like TANGERINE DREAM's ZEIT and SPACEMEN 3's DREAMWEAPON, similar to EXPO 70's deepest drone works with a more acoustic mindset a la LOREN CONNORS - there's an energy in this stark soundscape that keeps me fixed, intensely close listening lending acute attention to a universe of subtle nuances that betray this vast monochromatic soundscape as being more than what it seems at first glance - the participants settle in at around the halfway mark, amps turn up and pedals click on, threads loosen just a bit, flourishes like solar flares plume higher and sustain longer, still everything remains wholly anchored to "the drone" even as it slowly winds down and fades to black -- frankly, this is not an easy listen, but it is immensely rewarding - this is one of the best pure drone works i have ever heard

highest possible recommendation