Kevin Kastning - Ethereal V

I dreamed of invisible journeys :: Reviews and Quotes

Brother,
thank you again for another great recording! It's a real exchange between the players
( the electric guitar sometimes sounds like a smooth trombone!!!). There is a lot of space between the notes and chords - I like this! And - the foto on the front cover is great!!!!

- Claus Boesser-Ferrari (GERMANY)

"Transatlantic duo Kevin Kastning and Mark Wingfield are out with the album "I Dreamed of Invisible Journeys", and progressive rock is probably the best manner in which to describe the music we are provided with here. On one hand this is minimalist music, with one electric and one acoustic guitar the instrumentation of choice for all the compositions and arguably something of an ambient touch to many of them too. But in between the plucked acoustic guitar elements and the often floating textures provided by the electric guitar we are also served with atonal details, eerie and unnerving tonal choices, sprints of quirky and challenging instrumental runs and the occasional nod or three in the direction of jazz. Hence a multifaceted production exploring many different landscapes using the very same elements throughout. An expressive, avant-garde yet also minimalist production, and one that sounds more improvised than composed at that. A production that likely will have a niche audience, but also an album I suspect will be quite the treat for that very same crowd."

- Progressor Magazine (UZBEKISTAN)
June 2022

Kevin Kastning/Mark Wingfield
I dreamed of invisible journeys
Greydisc Records (US)

"Kevin KASTNING is this American guitarist, born in Wichita, Kansas, who plays oversized guitars with multiple strings designed by him (some of his guitars can have up to 36 strings). His playing is quite nuanced and without musical outbursts; we are not witnessing long, endless flights of rapid notes, but rather notes of arpeggiated or deconstructed chords, using above all the bass notes of his instrument. His discographic production is quite impressive; there are nearly fifty albums, some solo but most in collaboration.

He is associated here with the English composer and guitarist Mark WINGFIELD, who is throughout the disc on the electric guitar. His game is different from his partner; without being high-flying guitarist, he shows a little more virtuosity. His guitar is rather plaintive, and his playground is more in the high notes of the staff.

The genre of music recorded on the album would be, according to the label, jazz, new age, ambient, avant-garde and progressive rock. It is in fact, above all, improvised music where the melodies are absent and where the guitars improvise each in their respective register. Sometimes, we witness a real dialogue between the two instruments; take for example the last piece, “Arrival” where the electric guitar, groaning, lets itself be comforted by a more serene acoustic guitar. At times, a slightly more structured musical direction arises, a motif is repeated. The delicate ''A Questing'', the second track on the album, is a fine example.

Sometimes, it is two superimposed monologues that we believe we hear, two parallel universes that intersect without real interaction between them. A little confusion or repetition in the game of the two protagonists are elements that can lead the listener to drop out of his listening. In short, we have here a well-made album, where the musicians offer a quality performance and the inspiration is present despite some vague moments and some lengths.

Let's mention the beautiful photo that accompanies the disc. We see a traveler under an umbrella patiently waiting on the station platform for a train that does not seem to be coming. Is it the dream of an impossible journey?"

- Profil Prog Radio and Magazine (CANADA)
October 2022