TIP OF THE TONGUE 04 DECEMBER 2011
Six Organs of Admittance
Maria Kapel
Pavilion Records No Cat
LP
OUT OF STOCK!
New private press LP from Ben Chasny on his reactivated Pavilion Records in an edition of only 500 copies with hand-painted white-on-white covers featuring graphite powder stencil art: inspired by a visit that he took to North Brabant, a Dutch province that borders on Belgium, to visit the tiny chapels dedicated to Mary that dot the roadsides, Chasny composed a series of tracks that would attempt to replicate the feel of these folk sanctums while using the opportunity to re-tool his music with a new minimal/devotional edge. The results are gorgeous. The set is bookended by two ghostly harmonium works that are thick with tonal spectra while the rest of the album is made up of some of Chasny’s most expressive guitar soli. His playing has always had a lyrical, vocal quality but the lack of any words spotlights the music’s capacity for expressive tongue. There are aspects of avatars like Roy Harper and Peter Walker – particularly Walker’s delicate, pirouetting style – but the romantic/dramatic bass runs and the witchy trills are pure Chasny and look back to classics like Dark Noontide and Compathia. Despite his affinity – and friendship – with major post-Fahey thinkers like Jack Rose, Chasny has always seemed like more of a musical/artistic loner, never part of any school, never furthering anyone’s tradition but his own, and in that sense Maria Kapel is exemplary, a solo guitar record that sounds like nothing, really, outside of itself, while communicating in tongues that are instantly explicable to anyone with a pair of ears. Beautiful, personal, hymnal without ever being prissy or wet, this is a major statement from Ben and points to exciting things for the future from Pavilion. Already completely sold out at source, we have a very limited supply so apologies upfront for anyone who misses out. Strictly one copy per customer. Highly recommended!
