Erdem Helvacioglu - Altered Realities (2006)

This is another recent favorite, especially in the late night hours when I want something mellow but not necessarily sleep-inducing. This album is a wonderful mellow soundscape that transforms the guitar into something that sounds much more like a synthesizer. Turkish musician Erdem Helvacioglu apparently recorded the whole album live using only a guitar and various effects, with all of the sound processing done on the fly in real time... Wow! Seriously, his setup must be incredible, since it sounds so much more produced and fleshed out than one would imagine someone being able to do without the aid of some post-production.

But the real beauty of it is in the unique sounds he shapes with such simple means, the mood the record captures, and the vibe it creates. Magical, hazy and blissfully spacy...

alter your reality

Richard Pinhas - Chronolyse (1978)

Here's something from Richard Pinhas, an experimental musician from France who has recorded under his own name and also been involved in many collaborative projects over the last 30+ years, including Heldon, Lard Free, Schizo, and several others. His duo effort with Merzbow last year yielded the excellent Keio Line.

Recorded in 1978, Chronolyse features some nice guitar and synthesizer workouts which show the influence of minimalist composers such as Phillip Glass and Terry Riley, but end up a little closer to progressive rock in both atmosphere and attitude. The final track, a 30 minute sprawling epic with Didier Batard on bass and Francois Auger on drums, is my personal favorite.

Chronolgy You Knit / Craw Gnaw Low G Unit