Short Reviews [Markus Reuter - 2020 - "Sun Trance"]

Austria based composer and guitarist Markus REUTER has had a solo career going for more than 20 years, and in the last decade in particular he has become increasingly productive in his non-band related projects. In 2020 he released half a dozen albums or thereabouts, and I believe all of them came to life through US label Moonjune Records. "Sun Trance" is one of those albums, and was made available towards the end of the summer season of 2020. Unlike most of the other albums by Reuter in 2020, "Sun Trance" is a live recording, and it is from a performance that took place in 2017. It is also a commissioned work, and what further separates it from many other albums by Reuter is that he is backed by a full ensemble here, Mannheimer Schlagwerk, as well as vibraphonist Dennis Kuhn. 12 musicians in total, including Reuter. The intriguing bit here is that the music itself is of a very delicate and careful nature. Layered, gentle metal percussion details are of not dominant then at least the sole consistent feature throughout, closely followed by gliding, surging and fluctuating soft sound textures with more of a cosmic feel and sound to them. Additional elements with a more audible role don't come into play until the five minute mark or thereabouts, and we're actually closing in on the halfway point before Reuter's guitars get a more visible and audible placement in the mix. Before and after Reuter makes himself visible in these soundscapes we are presented with an ebb and flow affair, carefully lingering in one setting, gradually developing it, transitioning over to the next phase, carefully and slowly moving forward. The rhythm department may come and go, instruments and other sounds as well, with the addition and subtraction creating just as much of an ebb and flow feeling as the transition from one phase to the next. The transitions themselves are usually more sparse and open affairs, and due to that creating lapses that emphasize a certain ebb and flow as well. Otherwise I note that the ebb and flow are careful, with the coming and going of the rhythm department being the most dramatic effect of note in this context. Reuter provides some fine floating guitar textures from the 15 minute mark and to around the 30 minute mark of this 36 minutes long performance, the nature of the guitar and guitar sound of the kind i tend to describe as Frippian, as I do associate this type of guitar soloing with Robert Fripp and King Crimson more than anyone else. In this case we have the atmospheric laden variety of this, at times backed by a second guitar providing dampened riffs for contrast and depth, but the floating guitar solo textures will also occasionally take on a more frayed sound and also dip down into the darker tone register on occasion. Rarely if ever providing enough hardness or beefy sounds to transport us out of an ambient oriented excursion, but certainly adding texture and depth to this subtly cosmic oriented excursion to internal and external locations in and of space. Subtle details and alterations gives the mind enough food for thought and sounds to register, and tension and interest is maintained throughout due to this. At least for the listeners that are able to focus and immerse themselves into these more careful and often delicate soundscapes. I find that this live performance is an open and inviting affair, but also that this is music that demands full attention from the listener to be able to enjoy the delicate sounds, subtle alterations and distinctly more careful landscapes explored here. Those who find ambient music to be generally interesting should feel right at home with this album, and then especially those who are fond of percussion elements being an important part of the totality. In addition, a certain affection for long compositions will obviously be needed, as this is a one track album.