[reviews] afe077lcd
aidan baker: dog fox gone to ground

Yet another CD by Aidan Baker, you might say. Yes, prolificacy is a double-edge sword: usually, too many releases are the clear signal of a pumped self-belief which clouds the eyes of people taking advantage of the ingenuity - and fat wallets - of record collectors to churn out useless, totally hollow albums which generate absolutely unjustifiable cults. Names? Too many: look no further than the 95% of dark ambient, trance, esoteric catalogs.

Luckily, Aidan Baker's numerous examples of enchanting creativity are the exception confirming the rule, as immediately evidenced by the first minutes of this, a record completely made with acoustic guitar with no overdubs that nonetheless sounds exactly "Baker", a testimony to an immediately recognizable style which - forgive this rare vanity attack - I'm proud to have been among the first ones to champion.

Therefore, more than describing once again the bewitching loops and the shimmering, enthralling waves of these beautiful meditations, I'll just invite you to learn to raise your aerials and support real artists - like Aidan - rather than being subjugated by low-budget saints and presumed sound healers whose Paypal account grows thanks to your inattention. Kudos to Afe for releasing this rare example of sensitive hypnosis.

[Massimo Ricci]