Solo guitar is a wonderful thing, especially when the guitarist is as accomplished an improvisor as Argentinian axe-wielder Luciana Bass. From the opening track dedicated to free-shredding pioneer Sonny Sharrock to the final one alluding to Japanese six-stringer Toru Yamashita, she sets the tone for a set of 12 pieces that reflect the state of the art of avant-garde guitar in an intimate and revealing release.
Referencing some outstanding artists on the instrument, but also just generally, the 12 tunes Bass offers here show off different aspects of her skill and understanding of the guitar and how it can be used to channel musical ideas. Artists cited include Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, the aforementioned Sharrock and Yamashita, Brazilian guitarist and composer Heitor Vila Lobos, and another prominent Japanese guitarist and sound artist, Otomo Yoshihide. These references serve as thematic material which Bass shapes into original pieces of a highly imaginative nature.
An obviously mature talent who already has several releases under her name and has done the research required to pull off the current project, Bass leaves few stones unturned and plies her art skillfully, both on a tactile level, exploring the guitar's many possibilities of manual sound-scaping, as well as delving into preparations and the colors available from amplification and electronic processing.
The variety of textures is noteworthy, from the sparse single lines and drones of a piece like "Blind Willie," to the percolating minimalist noise of "Arco Y Felcha" and "Manos de Cromo," the insistent march-like anthem of "Voces de Violetta," the haunting shredding of "Japon," the deconstructing of Vila Lobos' famous prelude in E minor, and the lullaby-like lyricism of "Toru's Waltz" that ends the album.
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