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REVIEWS FORREST FANG AND CARL WEINGARTEN Invisibility The Foundry (2006) The marriage of Forest Fangıs atmospheric and moody electronics, treatments and processing to Carl Weingartenıs evocative assortment of acoustic and electric guitars (including ebow and dobro) results in a melancholic yet beautiful collection of instrumentals on Invisibility, yet another worthwhile release from the unheralded Foundry label. Seldom particularly abstract, and in fact many times wholly accessible if not downright warm, this is a CD to spend a serious amount of time with, as its carefully produced layers of melodic components, ambient elements, and overall sense of drifting sensibility will reveal themselves more over time than if one were to simply play the CD as sonic wallpaper. However, Invisibility also works quite well in that regard, as the pealing guitars meld with shimmering synths and/or fluid drones and washes forming a musical backdrop that never overtly calls attention to itself yet colors an environment with subtle evocations of lonely grey afternoons, fading light, sepia-toned photos, and memories glimpsed through the well-worn glass of years long passed. Most of the album concentrates on flowing soundscape ambient music while sometimes imparting a gentle sense of motion, communicated by both Fangıs electronics as well as how Weingarten plays his assorted instruments. However, on ³Last Run² a subtly dramatic forceful percussive effect does surface and I personally enjoyed this interjection of mild freneticism (the chattering rhythms are set off by sustained electric guitar peals and shadowy indistinct background effects, as well as occasional twinkling tones). Most of Invisibility is intent on conveying a smooth sensation of floating or drifting, such as on the opener ³Freezing Days² with an undulating four-tone refrain, stinging sparse lead lines, and glistening background textures. ³Running Fence² (at nine-plus minutes, the longest track on the CD), features shadowy drones, plaintive melodic fragments, shimmering high end synth sparkings, and a pleasantly chattering guitar effect, with the later addition of sustained notes. The guitar creates a rhythm-like cadence, although nowhere near as pronounced as the previously mentioned ³Last Run.² Nothing here is dark or scary, mostly because both artists find ways of injecting elements of beauty and a delicate gentleness even when the music takes on a more mysterious or veiled presence, as it does on ³Hidden Cove.² ³The Land of Invisibility² could be labeled spacemusic, owing to its combination of cosmic twinkling synths, velvety smooth washes and textures, and Weingartenıs guitar notes which sustain deep into the blackness, seemingly going on forever. ³Solar Rain² builds from a quiet start to something akin to the music of Hammock, i.e. layers of guitars and electronics melded into a ³wall of noise² juxtaposed by a koto-like effect which is heard now and then. The closest the album comes to being foreboding is on the closing track, ³Euphonia² where the drone elements are emphasized over melodic content. The musicıs various components gather and swell and the listener is basically carried away on waves of layered electronics and guitars. While I wouldnıt normally group these two excellent artists together, either on a whim or by design, itıs obvious that this ambitious project, which first began back in 2000, has resulted in fantastic ambient music (with production assistance from Robert Rich). Densely layered, but not pretentiously so, expertly mixed and produced, and with music that is neither too abstract to appreciate nor too commonplace to delve into, Invisibility weaves its ambient spell for both hard core purists and casual listeners of the genre. Solidly recommended. - Bill Binkelman / New Age Reporter