Reviews and Quotes for An Illustrated Silence
An
Illustrated Silence
"Guitarists Mark Wingfield and Kevin Kastning return for more quietly intimate,
eclectic, and highly unorthodox guitar duets. Wingfield is credited with
electric guitar, samples, and live electronics; Kastning supplies 14-string
Contraguitar, 12-string alto guitar, and classical guitar. All is carefully
played and meticulously, pristinely recorded (finger-slides along the strings
are captured at a volume matching the notes themselves).
What you get from this highly impressionistic material rests exclusively with
your view of music sans melody/immediately apparent structure. Intrigued,
irritated, or inured, you'll figure out pretty fast how "An Illustrated Silence"
tweaks your sensibilities. Some track titles hint at the nature of these
experimental paths seldom traveled: "Distant Call of Knowing," "soundlessly
Drawn," "An Obverse Unknown" .... Pretty wide-open stuff, performed live in the
studio with no overdubs. Worth checking out if you're comfortable receiving the
unexpected with an open mind open ears."
-
Progression Magazine
(US)
Fall/Winter 2013/2014
Mark Wingfield & Kevin Kastning
An Illustrated Silence
(Greydisc GDR 3513. CD Review by Chris Parker)
Guitarists Mark Wingfield and Kevin Kastning attracted a host of rave reviews
for their previous album together (‘extraordinary beauty’, ‘fantastic, expansive
and adventurous’, ‘sublime’) and this duo recording contains seventeen reasons
why. Completely improvised, but not strictly ‘free’ (Wingfield explains: ‘The
music required that we both react spontaneously to literally everything the
other played in a continuous fashion with the underlying aim of playing music
which sounded like a composition’), An Illustrated Silence sets Wingfield’s
searingly eloquent electric guitar against the astonishing plethora of sounds
obtained by Kastning from self-invented instruments such as the fourteen-string
Contraguitar and twelve-string alto guitar, as well as the more conventional
classical guitar.
The resultant album may have been produced spontaneously with no overdubs, but –
such is the closeness of the musical rapport between Wingfield and Kastning – it
does evince all the assurance and poise more commonly associated with composed
material; indeed, such is the aptness and cohesiveness of the music that it is
impossible even to differentiate between ‘lead player’ and ‘accompanist’ on
particular pieces.
The accompanying publicity promises ‘new acoustic landscapes of imagination and
deep introspection’, and that is a pretty accurate description of what Wingfield
and Kastning deliver throughout an intriguing and consistently gripping set.
- London Jazz Times (UK) July 2013
MARK WINGFIELD/KEVIN KASTNING
An Illustrated Silence
2012 (CD, 62:45)
GREYDISC GDR3513
An Illustrated Silence
contains 17 interesting, completely improvised dual-guitar sketches. Englishman
Mark Wingfield and American Kevin Kastning exhibit incredible intuitive
chemistry as they resonantly proceed along parallel planes in perfect
synchronization.
Kastning mans the acoustic side on classical guitar as well as 12-string alto
guitar in various tunings. His main instrument for this session is the 14-string
Contraguitar -- pitched a full octave below standard guitar, with the low four
strings tuned same as a bass. (It peaks at high A). Wingfield plays electric
guitar with a hex pickup supplying a separate signal to each string enabling him
to trigger synths and samples.
The music is typical of ECM-label fare; airy and angular, sparse yet rich.
Imagine Terje Rypdal jamming with Alex de Grassi. Kevin picks and plucks chords
almost in harp-like fashion while Mark's electric surfs overhead in perfect
unison. One or the other occasionally will flaunt nimble shredding ability in
clean, fluid bursts, but always in context of the piece.
The overall feel of An Illustrated Silence is engagingly contemplative,
with a few ambient moments tossed in. This sophomore outing expands on the duo's
debut. (Warren Barker)
- Progression Magazine (US) Spring 2013
KEVIN
KASTNING / MARK WINGFIELD
An Illustrated Silence
(Greydisc)
"Over the past few years, American guitarist Kevin Kastning has emerged from
being a relatively unknown artist to making a name for himself as both a rising
guitarist and a musical conceptualist / visionary. Kastning’s recent releases
include 2012 CD titles with long time partner and co-guitarist Sándor Szabó as
well as a second CD release with U.K. fusion guitarist Mark Wingfield. Recorded
at the end of 2011, An Illustrated Silence captures the guitar duo of Kastning
and Wingfield in stellar form, improvising and sonic surfing on a wave of
improvised acoustic / electric harmonies. Even though the notes fall right where
they should, make no mistake about is, An Illustrated Silence is angular
and scales some impressive sonic glaciers. Wingfield’s horn-like electric guitar
embellishes Kastning’s intricate acoustic Metheny meets Fripp type sonic
fretboard extrapolations. Back in the 1970s Kastning would have fit in perfectly
on the ECM label or some other arty European label, but as it stands, he’s
creating a wealth of guitar instrumental music on his own Greydisc label while
recording under his own name. Commenting on the release of An Illustrated
Silence, Kastning adds, 'Mark and I have a very strong chemistry, something
akin to subliminal communication when performing,’ with Wingfield stating, ‘I
was very interested to see if the chemistry of the first album was a one-off or
if it would still be there the next time we played together. I had a strong
feeling it would be there. When we started recording, if anything, I felt the
chemistry was even stronger on An Illustrated Silence.'
Even though all the music on An Illustrated Silence is completely instrumental, the sound and vision Kastning and Wingfield create on their second album together is simply awe-inspiring and will leave you speechless."
- Music Web Express (USA) November 2012
An Illustrated Silence
Mark Wingfield / Kevin Kastning
Greydisc Records - GDR 3513
A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
by Mark S. Tucker
(progdawg@hotmail.com)
"Kevin Kastning keeps expanding as a guitar phenomenon, and the names more and
more frequently catching his performances or sitting down to play are rather
daunting, recently including such luminaries as Steve Hackett (Genesis) and
Dominic Miller (Sting), the latter of whom Kastning has toured with. More, the
list of critics who rate his CDs among the best-of-year, year after year, is
rapidly running out of notebook space. Then there's Mark Wingfield, who's
likewise mounting in repute as he tours and records with jazz and classical
music names like Thomas Stronen, Kate Ryder, Iain Bellamy, and others. The two
are mavericks and constantly innovative, Kastning with renovated and invented
guitars and Wingfield abandoning conventional amplifiers in order to fine out
his sound, which oscillates between Terje Rypdal, John Abercrombie, Pat Metheny,
early Bill Frisell, and of course himself.
An Illustrated Silence is the second collaboration between the two and
carries a sharper definition than the last. Neither of these guys, though they
embody distinctive modes, sits still for very long. Kastning plays his customary
all-acoustic dark moody atmospherics while Wingfield mans the electric and live
electronics. Sometimes this results in a highly incidentalist piece, as in
Ultima Thule No. 1, a song that could have been fitted to The Exorcist
or Blair Witch Project, but more frequently dwells in a misty miasmic
entablatures of lost byways, abandoned cities, and querulous eventides.
Released by the painstaking Greydisc label, the recording is both rich and
barren, empty and chilling when called for or elastically three-dimensional,
allowing ears and mind room to stretch out, imagination a somber playground.
Soundlessly Drawn is surprisingly melodic…at least insofar as any of Kastning's
songs or duets can be said to be so—though of course of a laconic nature and
emotionally downtone, pensive, brooding. The CD is over an hour long, that's the
norm, and, as ever, an immersion in worlds both familiar and alien. As much as
any film, it provides fertile soil for the listener to wander and witness,
thrall to dimensions too often otherwise absent in the arts."
- FAME Magazine (USA)
Mark Wingfield and Kevin Kastning: An Illustrated Silence
"'An Illustrated Silence', is the latest album from expert musicians, Mark
Wingfield, on electric guitar, and samples, and Kevin Kastning, on 14-String
Contraguitar, 12-string extended baritone guitar, classical guitar, and fretless
guitar.
This is a wonderful album full of subtle and light instrumental mood themes on
guitar. The two guitar professionals that come together on this collaboration
fill the room with light and sound that will at times bend and at others sooth
your ears as new and interesting sounds drift through the air."
-
Sea of Tranquility (USA)
January 2013
Mark Wingfield - Kevin Kastning:
An Illustrated Silence
Label: Greydisc Records (USA)
15. November 2012 by Mihály Czékus
"The titles of the American guitar player Kevin Kastning’s albums are already
exciting things to think on, to know what inner images are recalled from the
subconscious of the listener. I think this album with Mark Wingfield has also a
very inspiring title: An Illustrated Silence. This is the second album
from the Kastning/ Wingfield duo. Their first album was I walked into the
silver darkness.
In the new album, Kastning partly follows the usual conception which means that
there are several pieces in the repertoire where the theme is lighted from
different aspects. The titling of such pieces like Ultima Thule No. 1 and
No.2, as well as the Tramontane I-II-III series shows this concept.
This is a usual way of working up a theme in almost all the Kastning albums.
However in this album we can experience something unusual: the length of the
compositions. In previous works, the duration of the pieces were significantly
longer, around seven minutes in average but in this album we find 17 pieces, and
only two of them are more than five minutes long.
Kastning’s music can expresses inner images that cannot be expressed in other
ways. Thoughts, energies, emotions are streaming in an organic structure where
we can feel the intelligence. The deep structure of the An Illustrated
Silence conveys the listener to their own subconscious. Though the basic
energy system of their music is given by the voluptuousness, its form is coming
of the cult which is so strong that sometimes covers its starting point.
This album reflects a special vitality which can really grab the listener in a
very intense way. While the music creates a special universe, a separate
reality, we can always feel that the perceived universe is in ourselves and the
music is in unity with our inner world. When listening to this music, I feel
like being part of a very rare and special natural phenomena.
This music from the Kastning/Wingfield duo is for people who long for something
that surpasses the usual music experiences."
-
HiFi Portal Magazine (HUNGARY) December 2012
"Kevin,
An Illustrated Silence, the new album with Mark, is a masterpiece... we'll get
to feature both CDs soon...you guys have really filled a niche!
Thank you!"
Music Web Express 3000
Magazine (USA)
"KK,
Love the new record (An Illustrated Silence). Frisell meets Fripp for an
aperitif served by John Themis as Pat Metheny sits at a nearby table and looks
on in envy.
Very best,
John La Grou"
Millennia Music & Media
Systems (USA)
"Hi Kevin,
Received the new album "An Illustrated Silence" today, thank you so much and
just listened to it now.
Beautiful album again send my regards to Mark.
Album cover looks great and suits the vibe perfectly.
All the very best.
Ken"
Ken Browne (IRELAND)
"I am just listening to the An
Illustrated Silence. This is a very well structured nice material, with
interesting sound effects. Congratulations for both of you! Musically it is a
step ahead. The sleeve is one of the most beautiful I ever seen in black and
white.
Your new album recalled a lot of nostalgia in me. I remember the time when I met
John Abercrombie's and Terje Rypdal's music. This album is a very high level
continuation of that direction.
Yesterday I listen to the An Illustrated Silence again. It is a very very
beautiful album and really a big step ahead, compositionally, and musically. My
congratulations also to Mark. I hope this album brings success for both of you.
The point is that I love this album a lot!"
-
Sándor Szabó
(HUNGARY)
"Hi Kevin,
An Illustrated Silence is again wonderful music, great interplay, beautiful
sounds."
-
Gilbert Isbin (BELGIUM)
"Hi Kevin,
Just a note to say thanks for the copy of "An Illustrated Silence." Another beauty from you guys!"
- Michael Manring (USA)