I reviewed 'Fantastic Planet' (ambient tracks performed by guitarist Sarah Lipstate) last year and it fair put me into orbit, or at least a tailspin. I was intrigued to see how what had come before had contributed to that work, if indeed it had. Initially I felt that I could see how 'Fantastic Planet' was a culmination of previous work and then I found out that these two albums being reissued by Fire were more likely her fifth and sixth long players, so scotch that theory. Might it not then be better to judge these as standalone works?
'Glacial Glow' is colder than either of the other two. 'Entering' is just a guitar melody and a schreechy violin note. 'Glacial Wave' is of course wave sounds, undulating waves of sound. A nice thing about Sarah's music is that it does have a shoegaze-y quality to it. This makes listening to what might be perceived as quite challenging music, a damn sight easier. 'Blue' is a colour. It might sound like this. Synaesthetic closed-eye hallucinations. 'Resolutions' is deep somewhere. Unfathomable, possibly unplumbable but someone is there. 'Alone Star' starts out 'rawk' for about two seconds and then drifts off to a point in the sky, or maybe points its way to one? 'Tuesday before Po' makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and start whistling a tune. If you take a left from this sound you find people like bvdub. 'Waxwing' flutters a bit and 'Ends' is a bit Doors-y, maybe?
'No Dreams' is a slightly more difficult concept to grasp. The cover is artwork by Justin James King from his 'Geometry Of Place' series/exhibition. This place could be in space? The place we go to when we sleep? Points of light all joined up against a background of black. Maybe the whole thing is just darker and more out there. Beats me.
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Anyway, 'Fighting Sleep' is ably constrained delirium followed by the longest piece on the album 'Mannahatta' which takes its own sweet time to go from a to b. It is tinkly and cavernous and tickles my nethers. 'The Fright' could soundtrack a horror but that is a little simplistic. It has dramatic piano sounds married to that stellar guitar again. 'Rue de Montmorency' is a particular place and the geometry of the music is the gutter and the stars. There is bass in here that would make Grooverider proud (or maybe not).
The titular track is perhaps the standout. A classic piece to ground the album. The video elaborates on the artwork and is worth checking out. Strangely this track reminds me of 'In A Big Country' by Big Country. What can I tell ya? 'Gathering The Elements' follows on nicely becoming more of a maelstrom. 'Purchase' looks for some and seems to find none, drifting untethered instead and slowly folding in on itself. The final track is a brief outro in keeping with much of what has gone before. Buy both these albums, lie down in a dark room and get on with it.
Let's make a bold statement. Sarah Lipstate is one of the most important guitarists of her generation and if female guitarists are anathema to you then let's just say she is one of the more relevant musicians currently working today. She can do whatever she wants and I hope she does. More glow, more dreams and more planet please.
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