(2021) Jon Durant & Stephan Thelen - Crossings


Review:
These two guitarist/composers first came together when Stephan Thelen asked Jon Durant to contribute to a track on Fractal Guitar (2019). Durant’s role was greatly expanded on Fractal Guitar 2 (2021): he played on all six tracks, his fretless guitar playing especially distinctive. Thelen had the idea of doing a duet with Durant when asked to provide a track for a MoonJune Records sampler album. That track was a new version of the title track from Thelen’s solo album Vol de Nuit (2004), which they recorded as a homage to two favorite guitarists, Robert Fripp and Terje Rypdal. It opens the album, Thelen’s e-bowed guitar soaring over a throbbing bed of atmospheric electronics (evoking Fripp), followed by reverberant guitar with whammy bar (evoking Rypdal). The call and response between these two guitar voices continues over a gradually intensifying backdrop. “Sunrise” follows with a familiar rhythmic feel, interlocking guitars playing odd-meter rhythmic patterns. There are no drums (or bass) on the album, but there is no shortage of grooves. “Mise En Abyme” and “Crossings” are also atmospheric new versions of past Thelen compositions, both from Mise An Abyme (RepTile, 2009). “Mise” shines with Durant’s fretless guitar solo, while “Crossings” finds him on 12-string guitar, plus more fretless (along with additional haunting e-bow playing from Thelen, a signature sound here). “Fractal 5.7” revisits Thelen’s “fractal guitar” approach, employing electronic decay to create rhythm patterns. As always the process results in a fascinating, jerky groove. Most of the pieces began in Switzerland, followed by Duran responding with spontaneous textural and melodic ideas. “Dream Sequence” reversed that process, traveling from Portland with Duran’s heavily processed fretless guitar creating a pulsing, almost electronica atmosphere. “Infinity” closes the album, evoking a feeling of vast spaces. Almost motionless at first, it gradually washes over the listener in waves before finally fading away. A beautiful conclusion to a set that is rich in collaborative magic. — AllAboutJazz





Track Listing:
1.Vol de Nuit 10:31
2.Sunrise 04:52
3.Mise en Abyme 11:28
4.Crossings 12:58
5.Fractal 5.7 07:56
6.Dream Sequence 07:53
7.Infinity 09:59


Media Report:
Genre: ambient, jazz
Country: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits