Catching up on a bunch of new releases. The variety and personality of modern guitarists continues to astound me, from Mary Halvorson’s angular smears to Xander Taylor’s Indian excursions. Ambitious well executed all. Stay safe and VOTE!
Some emotional vignettes, a bunch of Mary Halvorson, and, to start off, a set by Raoul Björkenheim eCsTaSy.
Raoul Björkenheim eCsTaSy Doors Of Perception [Cuneiform Records]
Björkenheim adds some new tones to his signature edgy yet vocal style, (like wave form distortion), yet his distinctive instrumental voice continues to shine through.
This is a long one because I have fallen behind in telling you about all the great new releases. Record Picks is a periodic offering from Guitar Moderne: a listing of recordings brought to my attention that I feel are momentous enough to bring to yours. These are not reviews. Feel free to submit recordings (downloads preferred), but they must be purchasable worldwide, reflective of modern guitar (subjective, but no blues, classic rock, be-bop, country, etc.—all well covered elsewhere) and on a par with the ones below to rate a mention. Many of these are available from DMG in NYC. If you have sent me a recording, feel free to remind me.
Two new ones feature guitarist Nick Millevoi.
Guitar Moderne spotlighted Charlie Rauh back in June. Here he contributes to the Readers Rig section with more detail about what he uses and why.
Much modern guitar focuses on atonality and noise. More rare is the forward thinking guitarist whose approach leans towards the seductive rather than the assaultive. Though fully capable of aggressive sonic forays, Charlie Rauh’s music lives largely in a contemplative realm. Echoes of Frisell-ian pastoralism can be heard, but Rauh resembles him only in a similar rootedness and a focus on beautiful tone—he is his own man.