In 2023 James Elkington released 'Me Neither', a double album of solo guitar improvisations and experiments. He ended up thinking of it as a wordless collection of library music. 'Library music’ is a trove of anonymously produced sound that can be plundered for any kind of use and Elkington, the Chicago based British guitarist, finds a freedom in this music that seems to come out nowhere.
He follows up Me Neither with 'Pastel De Nada', a new 2xLP set where the 27 tracks amount to more of a toolkit than a library. Bright, optimistic strums like ‘The Lyre Concordia’, layered meditations like ‘Morny in the Earling’ and ‘The Caves at Aurangabad’, and tracks like ‘The Equal Spacing’ that tick and whir like little machines for generating joy. Elkington squares his guitars off against textures, atmospheres and whispers of percussion.
He follows up Me Neither with 'Pastel De Nada', a new 2xLP set where the 27 tracks amount to more of a toolkit than a library. Bright, optimistic strums like ‘The Lyre Concordia’, layered meditations like ‘Morny in the Earling’ and ‘The Caves at Aurangabad’, and tracks like ‘The Equal Spacing’ that tick and whir like little machines for generating joy. Elkington squares his guitars off against textures, atmospheres and whispers of percussion.
TRACK LISTING
1. Morny In The Earling
2. I, Altered
3. An Anechoic Orchestra
4. Sun Rats
5. Pont Du Poivre
6. Draw A Head
7. Ortemega
8. The Equal Spacing
9. Nonpareils In A Bottle
10. Nana Femur
11. The Submersible Community
12. Don’t Tell Anyone
13. Golden K
14. Ever In The Latening
15. Window Weapon Speaks
16. The Lyre Concordia
17. Fast Eyes (And Neck)
18. The Unexpected City
19. A Moon Crows
20. Build Your Background
21. No Time Is Passing
22. Very Berk Squad
23. Everybody’s Colleyland
24. The Caves At Aurangabad
25. All Cats Are Bored
26. Daft Zenith Nought
27. Night Felt