Kristinn Kristinsson: Module

Icelandic guitarist Kristinn Kristinsson—now a Basil, Switzerland resident—is a member of several bands. He was heard most recently on Monoglot's Wrong Turns And Dead Ends (Hout Records, 2017), but this is his debut as a solo artist (he also created the album cover art). He means "solo" literally: the entire program is performed on a single electric guitar, with a minimum of electronic effects.

The minimalist pattern-repetition (sometimes reminiscent of composer Philip Glass) present in some of his band music is a major component here, especially in the title pieces. The six short selections form a kind of suite, an austere exploration of arpeggio-like patterns. After a similar beginning, "Roots" opens up into more atmospheric sounds, including a bit of electronic processing (echo and pitch shifting). Perhaps this is a taste of a promised sequel involving electric guitar and a laptop, with live performance and interactive programming woven together.

"Sketch II" has a bit of Spanish flavor, while "It Follows" features a slow moving melody on top of the chordal structure. "Other Side" is a slow, thoughtful rubato composition that could easily be a classical guitar piece. Closer "Almost 3:30" has a similar sound and feeling. A lovely ending to a compact EP full of interesting ideas and very precise guitar playing.

Comments