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US-based ambient guitarist, David Tollefson is one half of Viridian Sun, a project he started in the ‘90’s with Hypnos label-owner Mike Griffin. On his first solo album “New Eyes on the Universe”, Mr Tollefson uses lots of electronic treatments along heavily processed or distorted e-guitar sounds. On the first half of the cd, this ends up in quite dark sound paintings, weird loops and minimal dronescapes with slight experimental/abstract edges (“Empty Sky”, “Empyrean”, “You are almost there”). To my ears, the music on the second half of the release is dreamier, imaginary and accessible while it links to some work of Michael Brook. The composer though is at his best on the longer pieces, such as opener “Palomar” or the quite serene “Some light from the heavens”, while I regret he didn’t extend the beauty embedded in short takes like “Voien” or “Imminent Departure”. Tracks like “Mandala” or the title track found at the very end venture into deep, slow morphing, out of this world territory. “New Eyes on the Universe” is an intense and amorphous guitar-ambient work of art with an unpolished sound design and distinct melancholic tendencies occasionally. |
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