Slovakian experimental guitarist / composer David Kollar is one of the most intriguing figures on the European Avant-Garde, jazz and progressive scenes. He says he treats music in the same way a sculptor treats stone, working away until the image in his head is realised, hence the album title.  David has released ten solo albums, a book, scored 18 films and worked on  many multimedia projects. He also formed Komara with Pat Mastelotto and Paolo Raineri and is probably best-known to many progheads for his work with Steve Wilson and Tim Bowness. Musically the artist he has most in common with to my ears is Markus Reuter, as he has a similar approach to conjuring sounds from his guitar which many wouldn’t even recognise as being that instrument, along with a very different approach to music. On this album he provides electric guitars, ronroco, guitalele, electronics, synthesisers, sound processing and bass with vocals on one track. He is joined by two different trumpeters in Erik Truffaz and Arve Henriksen, while Christian Fennesz provides guitar, synth, electronics and the aforementioned Pat Mastleotto gives us a poetry reading. A poetry reading? Yes, well this music is not really designed for the percussive fervour normally displayed by Pat.

This is an ambient avant-garde album with jazz touches here and there, with a wall of sound being created so that at times it is hard to distinguish the individual instruments. There are times when it is actually reminiscent of early Kraftwerk and Krautrock, as if we are back in the mid Seventies. Then there are other times when the acoustic guitar shines like a bright light, with other sounds fading in and out but never touching the guitar. It is like a beacon in a dark mist which eddies around the sound, like moths to a flame, but never able to touch the brilliance or dull its sound. Interestingly I thought I had best check the song title for that piece of music, only to discover it was called “Deeper To The Fog”, so I guess my description may well be on target for a change!

This is an album which takes time to get inside, and is one that must be played on headphones otherwise the nuances will pass the listener by.

Rating: 7/10

Links:
https://www.davidkollar.com/