MARK WINGFIELD & KEVIN KASTNING

When two prolific and creative minds gather, the chances of having an interesting experience increase, and that's what happens here, in Rubicon II, the second album of that Rubicon series that talented musicians Kevin Kastning and Mark Wingfield started some years ago. Released some days ago via Greydisc, this record features 6 long tracks that were recorded live in studio, back in 2018, so it is great to see it finally saw the light.

In this album the two musicians provide a creative mixture of multi-layered sounds, combining the acoustic essence of Kastning's instruments with the colorful electronic guitars and devices of Wingfield. There is freedom in their nature, no rules nor boundaries, the musicians let their souls and instruments flow, offering a multi-sensorial experience that can be perceived since 'Redshift Expansion', the album's first track.

The dialogue between both musicians continues in 'Observation Light Constant', however, the instruments change as well as the emotions and atmospheres created, because here the talk is between piano and electric guitar. There are some moments that share a King Crimson essence, mainly due to the guitar, and I love the contrast of the sublime jazzy piano notes, so the musicians take us to a road which is everything but plain, a bumpy but quite rich and interesting ride.

'Particle Apparent' has a softer sound, but the endless exploration continues, because both musicians re-invent themselves while the seconds pass, creating a diversity of sounds and textures. Though it clearly talks positively about their freedom and creativity, it is evident that these creations might not appeal to a regular audience, because it is music not that easy to dig and even enjoy, so I would recommend you to enter to this realm with a clear and open mind, otherwise, you might lose interest.

The longest track is the mighty and experimental 16-minute 'Tidal Radius Thermalized', in which we can perceive endless notes and atmospheres that take us to somewhere and nowhere at the same time. Concepts or musical genres such as ambient, experimental, jazz or prog can appear here, in a risky and challenging track that explores deep into Wingfield and Kastning's connection.

The exploration continues in the last two tracks, 'Variance Tensor Minus' and 'Gravitational Well Inception', and though all the songs have countless passages and nuances, there are always moments of cohesion and convergence, so in the end both musicians release their creativity by delivering notes with care, I am sure they look into each other's eyes a lot of times while recording this, but also, they surely played with the eyes closed, and let their understanding flow.

This is a nice album, but to be honest, it requires attention and an open mood and mind to listen to it, otherwise, it might be difficult to enjoy it.

"I Walked Into the Silver Darkness" is a CD that most likely will appeal to a limited audience. If you enjoy improvised music with guitars only, are intrigued by dual combinations of acoustic and electric guitars and have a special interest in pieces of that kind with a careful, dampened expression you might want to take notice, especially if you like jazz, and in particular if you're a guitarist yourself. Much the same goes for those who are into ambient music that aims to explore moods of sadness, longing and melancholy.