Short Reviews [Kevin Kastning & Sandor Szabo - 2023 - "Ethereal VI"]

As can be gathered from the title, what we have here is the next chapter in the Ethereal series; an amalgam of unique acoustic guitar-family instruments, electric baritone guitar, and compositional atmospherics. Here Kevin Kastning provides 28-string Double Contraguitar, 15-string Baritone guitar, and 12-string Baritone guitar while Sandor Szabo is on electric guitars and live processing. Normally, we find Kevin producing an album in a day as he bounces ideas with another like-minded musician, but this one actually took three months to complete which is an age for him. The last album in the Ethereal series had Kevin playing different guitars to these, while he was joined by Balazs Majo on percussion while Szabo provided orchestrations so although this is very much a continuation there is a difference in the approach this time. There is a layering of instruments in a way which is both experimental and modern classical. I am always incredibly impressed by Kevin’s work as he is so unlike anyone else I have come across, both in terms of the instruments being utilised and his approach to sound. I always find his releases incredibly compelling although I do recognise there will be many who do not feel the same as his music is certainly quite different to the norm. However, there is something deep hidden within this and by playing it on headphones the beauty of the cosmos is gradually made visible to the listener. This is not music to be played when thinking about something else, as one just needs to listen to the sounds, the interaction of the strings, and fall into something resembling a meditative state with the two musicians constantly finding new ways to interact. Yet again Kevin has produced a release which is quite compelling, and I look forward with great interest to see what he comes up with next.