2014年9月21日日曜日

[919] Alexander Turnquist - Flying Fantasy


Label: Western Vinyl
Catalog#: WEST123
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 2014
DISCOGS  OFFICIAL

A1 House of Insomniacs 7:32

A2 Finding the Butterfly 5:48
A3 Wildflower 6:19
B1 Red Carousel 8:47
B2 Flying Fantasy 6:43
B3 Cloud Slicing 2:19

アトモスフェリックな電子アンビエント/ドローン、メディテイティヴなアメリカン・プリミティヴ/ラーガ、Hans Reichelを思わせる特殊奏法まで多彩な引出しをもつニューヨーク在住のギタリストAlexander Turnquist(アレクサンダー・ターンクイスト)が、よりモダン・クラシカルな作風へアプローチした2014年最新作。12弦ギターの煌めくトレモロ/アルペジオの反復、ピアノやバイヴ、チェロ、スティールパンのゆったりとした旋律が、車窓から見える近景・遠景のように重なり、シネマチックなストーリーを推移させてゆく。全体の流れの中でもっとも音数が少なく、逆像的にアクセントになっている#5 'Flying Fantasy' が素晴らしいです。同じ12弦ギタリストとして引き合いに出されるJames Blackshawをはじめ、Michael Nyman〜Wim Mertensといった叙情派ミニマル、ポストクラシカル勢とも似た優美な香気を放つアコースティック・ミニマルの秀作。


...

Turnquist's latest full-length Flying Fantasy confirms the idea that out of great hardship can come great art. As he wrote the material for the new album it became clear that his sensitivity had sharpened, his empathy magnified, and his sense of purpose blossomed. The unfortunate circumstances he endured ostensibly forced his metamorphosis from a remarkable guitar player to a truly great composer. Much like the butterflies that adorn the album cover, he seems to have changed form and taken flight. 
The album opens with the sparse harmonics of "House of Insomniacs", which are soon joined by lush swells of vibes, cello, and even wordless vocals. On the tracks that follow, Turnquist continues to make use of this dynamic sonic pallet, even adding organ, piano, marimba, steel drums, violin, and french horn to the mix. From "Red Carousel", which was inspired by Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, to the somber lilt of the love song "Wildflower", to the truly arresting title track "Flying Fantasy" which uses only 4 open strummed guitars and loops of damaged tape and wire recorders, every note of Flying Fantasy vibrates with life as Turnquist ushers us though his intoxicatingly colorful worlds of sound. - Western Vinyl