Description:	fantastic CD on Young God
	Format:	CD
	Genre(s):	Folk/Folk Rock
	Label:	Young God
	Price:	£12.49
	Availability:	Dispatched within 2-5 days (on average).

5
...according to our Brett on 21 May 2009.

So James Blackshaw's got album of the week, what a bloody surprise eh? Everyone in here totally fancies him except me, I've only heard one album and other little bits and pieces so I've not really had the chance to develop my love, but I must say it's grown exponentially with the release of 'The Glass Bead Game' on the always excellent Young God. Phil's always banging on about how they don't release much but when they do it's almost always great and that applies even more so when they pull their fingers far enough out to get a vinyl edition on the go. They're obviously chuffed to have him and it's no surprise when you hear how accomplished this album is, beginning with a bit of Penguin Cafe Orchestra style chamber modernism where his guitar merely plays one role of many, moving on to the second tune in which his twelve string is pushed right to the fore (the phrase 'vintage Blackshaw' is kicking around to describe its Fahey-goes-raga brilliance), right the way through to the far more piano orientated pieces which evoke people like Max Richter, Philip Glass, maybe even Erik Satie. Spiritual minimalism maybe? It certainly feels good for the soul, whatever you call it. All I can say to sign off is it's absolutely wondrous stuff and Phil (who's far more au fait with his back catalogue than I am) has declared this to be his best album ever. Given the respect he's had up to this point that sounds like some recommendation! x Bretty Davis

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Sound clips for The Glass Bead Game by James Blackshaw: on CD at Norman Records UK. CD, Young God, YG40CD, £12.49.

What their label says...

“I’m extremely pleased to announce that James Blackshaw will now be releasing his absolutely spellbinding music via Young God Records. He has received attention as a 12-string guitar prodigy / virtuoso. He used to be in punk bands in England, but then he started listening to people like John Fahey, Robbie Basho, etc., and I assume locked himself in a room for 12 hours a day for several years and just played constantly. It takes intense discipline and a religious commitment to get to the place where he’s at with his instrument. But his music isn’t about his “skill.” It’s not showy. It’s deeply meditative—the secret language of a pre-thought, pre-dream place. “Blackshaw plays soulful and kaleidoscopic, ever-shifting mantra cycles of incredible beauty. Just his guitar by itself, with its swirling overtones, cascading notes, and a thousand points of light, resembles an orchestra, but with further orchestration—piano, strings, wind, and vocals—the music is positively cinematic and mesmerizing. “The 18-minute-plus gem on this record is ‘Arc,’ performed on piano with the sustain pedal on full throttle. The rush of sound created by the overtones from Heaven, augmented by strings and wind, when played at proper (full) volume, is one of the most thrilling pieces of music I’ve heard in years. It takes a rare and single-minded courage and commitment to make music with such a powerfully positive force at its heart, especially in these troubled times. This is healing music that reaches for what’s possible, just beyond our grasp. It is stellar… “Blackshaw is joined on this record by Joolie Wood (Current 93, Simon Finn) on violin, clarinet, and flute, and John Contreras (Baby Dee and Current 93) on cello. Lavinia Blackwall (Directing Hand) is a classically trained singer and contributed vocals.” —Michael Gira/Young God Records. Latest album from UK 12-string guitar vitruoso. Beautiful six-panel fold-out digipack with original art by Nicole Boitos. The vinyl version comes with a free CD version; this will be one of our biggest records of 2009!

PRESS: “... strong influences from outside the precincts of folk music: minimalist composers like Steve Reich and Terry Riley, and some of their precursors, like Erik Satie.... [Blackshaw] fingerpicks his 12-string Guild with an immersive focus befitting such heady allusions ... a stark and ancient feeling, like something handed down through the ages....” —New York Times “... one of the best and most original instrumentalists in the new, acoustic renaissance.” —Rolling Stone