STEPHAN THELEN

Sonar man’s selection of eclectic guitarists.

Recorded in different locations between 2015 and 2018, the pointillistic game plan dominating here will be instantly familiar to fans of Thelen’s Swiss-based group, Sonar. He describes this record as about having fun, inviting some of his pals along to help him celebrate the surprisingly diverse possibilities of various electric guitars pinging and twanging in 7/8 and other tensionbuilding time signatures. The guests include Stick Men’s Markus Reuter, Grammy-nominated experimentalist Henry Kaiser and honorary Sonar member, David Torn. Adding their rich textures and vibrant colours to the mechanistic patterns, underpinned by drummer Manuel Pasquinelli’s hypnotically rock-solid beats, brings a joyous flush to the music. It feels oddly counter-intuitive that compositions that seem so tightly regimented should also be the springboard to such ebullient expression. However that conundrum and the way in which it’s resolved is an essential part of what Thelan is about. Following swiftly from Sonar’s flat-out brilliant studio release, Vortex, and their in-concert Live At Moods, a new solo album is like discovering an easter egg in the middle of your favourite video game.