Martin Kirkegaard – Tar Gui
DaFuGa Sounds – Out Now
Reading that Danish guitarist Martin Kirkegaard comes from a Jazz and Blues background, refuses to be pigeon-holed in terms of his style and draws a lot on improvisation in his music, had my interest piqued from the off, especially considering this his first full-length album proper is a solo affair containing ten guitar pieces and two for banjo. Tar Gui is an immensely generous release, which can be seen immediately if you have the double vinyl, which contains roughly drawn guitar tabs, tuning information, photography and extensive notes on each piece of music. In the case of my version the text is written in Danish (a translation was made available by the artist for this review), but, either way, this is a beautifully produced album that feels luxurious to the touch and is very pleasing to have in the hand.
The music too is given generously, with the run time hitting over seventy minutes when you include the two vinyl only tracks. The pace of the tunes is also very appealing, with each piece taking its time to flower into its full expression. Take the opening title track as an example, which begins with a harmonic scale and only shifts from a more disparate style into the main melody after about two minutes. Even better is a beautiful moment about three minutes in, when Martin’s use of his bass string really begins to underpin the tune and give it a lovely soft groove that changes its mood again. This complexity is present across Tar Gui, which is at once so pure yet layered that it will take time to become familiar with it as a whole. The two banjo tunes are particularly terrific in their ramshackle state. Martin describes his old four string Frignon banjo as ‘a bit of a wreck that barely keeps the tuning a number through’, which certainly helps to give both parts of ‘Ojnab Blues’ their nature. Martin’s eastern music influences shine through on the first, which is a fractured and raw (‘more or less just falling apart’, he says) improvisation, whereas the second shorter piece brings a hint of Appalachian flavour to the mix and a quicker tempo that Martin adds a foot stomp to.
‘Rodhånd’, a fifteen-minute piece sandwiched by the two banjo tunes, is a far more rhythmic guitar piece that immediately brings to mind Robbie Basho, who the song is dedicated to, although I can also hear Red Horse, White Mule or Raag Manifestos era Jack Rose in there in places. With a prominent picked line running through it, ‘Rodhånd’ is deliberate yet meandering, a tune that Martin considers more of a process than a finished article, although I feel that this improvised feel adds to its appeal and results in a more effective, emotional song. Almost at the opposite end is ‘Springdans’, a tricky sounding dance tune that is beautifully played. A more directly entertaining and pretty piece of music, this five-minute number is a joy, as is ‘Åndedræt’, my favourite here, which positions an A minor harmonica alongside the guitar line. The pace of this one along with the occasional sound of Martin’s breathing (the title translates to ‘Breath’) lends it a meditative air and the tune itself is wonderful and brings to mind some of Chuck Johnson’s finest pieces from his Crows in the Basilica album.
But, although it is easy to throw the names of plenty of other guitar players around when listening to Tar Gui, it also feels very much like an autonomous work, a large yet intimate journey album. Like I said, although made very purely with little fuss aside from the odd bit of studio sound and weird reverb introducing a couple of songs, this album of music emphasising the acoustic instruments and hands that made it will take plenty of time to truly discover and will reward each listen. A beautiful album from a very generous musician.
Order via Bandcamp: https://martinkirkegaard.bandcamp.com/album/tar-gui