In the wake of Swiss guitarist Stephan Thelan’s Fractal Guitar and Fractal Guitar 2 albums, which featured Oregon-based guitarist Jon Durant, the pair teamed up to create the compelling release Crossings, which features seven songs of life-affirming ambient guitar, e-bow, loops and effects.
The atmospheric opening track, “Vol de Nuit,” is a reworking of a 2004 piece Thelan composed that pays tribute to two of the duo’s favorite fellow guitarists, Robert Fripp and Terje Rypdal. That 10-minute performance laid the foundation for an entire album of music written and performed by both Thelan and Durant on opposite sides of the world during the coronavirus lockdown in 2020. Ah, the wonders of technology.
“Mise en Abyme” and the title track are reinterpretations of other Thelan pieces, which Durant infuses with fresh ideas that fit seamlessly into the originals. His fretless lead guitar work adds melodies that echo some of U2’s more experimental material. Elsewhere, “Dream Sequence” brings intriguing rhythms and effects, and "Fractal 5.7" sounds like peak Pink Floyd.
You'll need to be in the right frame of mind to listen to Crossings, but it's a sonic journey definitely worth taking.
Track Listing:
1. Vol de Nuit
2. Sunrise
3. Mise en Abyme
4. Crossings
5. Fractal 5.7
6. Dream Sequence
7. Infinity
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