Various Artists - Spectra: Guitar in the 21st Century (Quiet Design) The name of this compilation speaks volumes about its contents - a wide range of artists, from the entire world, offering a variety of sounds, and its singular cohesion is their applications of rock ’n’ roll’s key component, the guitar. The compilation showcases how the instrument is no longer the mere chordophone of old, but has been reinterpreted as a thoroughly modern music making machine. The scope of stylings could not be broader, and they range from the absolute minimalist (Tetuzi Akiyama’s “Three Small Spaces” uses clean and precise guitar to accent overwhelming use of space) to overloaded manipulated, distorted and dissonant drones ( “Nylah” from Mike Vernusky). Sebastien Roux and Kim Myhr’s contribution, experiments with heavy manipulations and effects upon acoustic guitar, producing sounds that would be more readily assigned to synthesiser or orchestral bowed strings. Cory Allen’s “Fermion” with it’s loops and rapid stereo panning creates a real feeling of being constantly rotated, but it is Erdem Helvacioglu’s “The End of the World” which could be determined as the collection’s centre piece, as it draws on elements of the others, using a variety of manipulations, effects and experimentation, but also maintains links to the past by not altogether avoiding traditional and cultural (Turkish) applications of the instrument. The overall tone, whether the technology is enabled or not, is pretty dark and futuristic, and how much darker could it end than with Jandek’s “The World Stops”. Employing the only vocal (and shrill harmonica) on the album, Jandek lets loose his disturbing, jarring brand of gothic folk, where he tolls his guitar, releasing tones akin to the massive bell chimes reminiscent of Ennio Morricone work on the Dollars Trilogy. www.quietdesign.us Willsk Next