The Australian guitarist
Oren Ambarchi is known in new music circles for his multifarious collaborations and for the sometimes extreme intensity of his live performances. This solo album apparently consists of nothing but guitar sounds, although you'd never be able to guess the instrumentation without being told -- it opens with shreds of what sound uncannily like voices, then segues into a series of low, (barely) rhythmic noises that could just as easily have come from a malfunctioning microwave oven as from a musical instrument.
Ambarchi collaborates with electronica artist
Matthew Thomas on several tracks. These are more layered and complex than the solo pieces, but never really leave the realm of abstraction. The verdict? A must for noise fans and adepts of the ambient techno school; others should proceed with caution. ~ Rick Anderson