Black Eagle Child / Donato Epiro

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4...according to our Business Lady on Thu 11 Nov, 2010.

More Blackest Rainbow goodness in this week. This time it's a split from Black Eagle Child and Donato Epiro, two master guitar strummers/pickers. Black Eagle Child is the work of Michael Jantz who captivates with his immense guitar picking skills. Layers of accordion drone, occasional glockenspiel and the odd use of a field recording or two give this an appropriate (for the time of year) autumnal feel. Melodically this is beautiful stuff. It's a magikal collection of tracks that bring to mind elements of State River Widening and Pullman and is the perfect listening experience to accompany a frosty November morning. Flip it over and Donato Epiro picks up where Jantz left off. This Italian git-maestro takes guitar meditation to another level using repetitive picking techniques and guitar layering to create a patchwork of twangs, whirs and drones. Again, melodically this is totally impressive stuff but Donato Epiro's style is certainly more abstract than Black Eagle Child's and as a result is slightly more intense and un-nerving to listen to. Spooky stuff that features ace photography from Joe Blanchard. Nice one lad.

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Debut vinyl release for both of these great artists who collectively have had releases on a host of excellent underground labels such as Stunned Records, Housecraft, Sturmundrugs Records and Digitalis. Black Eagle Child is the musical project of Michael Jantz, and this release is his second outing for Blackest Rainbow following his excellent Kite Excursions CDR a while back. Here he presents us with 4 tracks of skillful guitar finger picking layered with glockenspeil, accordian and some perfectly timed field recordings giving the music a real autumnal glow. Donato Eprio's side is made up of three tracks of superbly crafted guitar work recorded between winter 2008 and winter 2010 at various destinations in Italy. I think the second track is particularily impressive, 'Il Primo Cerchio' is an intense piece with a variety of guitar sounds and techniques used... loose string twangs, repetitive layered plucking and deep raga meditations, at times layered with whirring drones. Pressed on virgin vinyl and housed in a pro-printed high gloss sleeve featuring cover photography by Joe Blanchard, pressed in an edition of 250 copies.

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