Prolific London guitarist JAMES BLACKSHAW has attracted quite a following not only amongst guitar aficionados, but also those who usually eschew six-string noodles. The Glass Bead Game is a good indication why. Blackshaw sees the guitar as a tool for conveying his melodic ideas, not a method of showing off his technique. His compositions revolve around circular figures that repeat, mantra-like, until they fill the room with sparkling sound. Influenced as much by classical music as by folk, Blackshaw creates slowly unfolding tracks that beckon gently but insistently, until we’ve no choice but to follow. Interestingly, this record finds Blackshaw expanding beyond his usual 12-string acoustic, using piano as the basis for “Fix” and “Arc,” and incorporating strings and wordless voices into his arrangements. The results are works of gentle power and sublime beauty. Ultimately, The Glass Bead Game has arguably less in common with JOHN FAHEY or BERT JANSCH than with contemporary compositional artists like ELUVIUM or EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, which gives Blackshaw a less limited platform on which to grow exponentially.
http://www.myspace.com/jamesblackshaw
http://www.younggodrecords.com
