guitars, streets, resonances [CD]

Crossing paths throughout their careers, James Moore and Elliot Simpson are veteran contemporary music guitarists who are dedicated to the creation and performance of new experimental works. Their debut album guitars, streets, resonances showcases two exciting large-scale pieces. Larry Polansky's 8 fermentations, inspired by a sketch from composer Charles Dodge, is a virtuosic exploration of diverging just-intonation tunings through wildly varied musical languages. The fermentations traverse quiet soundscapes, intricate polyrhythmic textures, and explosive skronky riffage. Stepan's piece, the album's title track, consists of a constantly mutating classical guitar melody, shadowed by an electric guitar which gradually dissolves into harmony, and then vanishes altogether. Accompanied by field recordings and live electronics performed by the composer, it inhabits a striking and beautiful sound-world which questions memory and place.