Artist: Phill Niblock Title: G2,44+/x2 Label: Moikai There's one more record that I thought I would put in a good word for. Phill Niblock's recent release on the Drag City imprint, Moikai, (curated by Jim O'Rourke) was originally titled "Guitar Too, For Four" but has been released as "G2,44+/x2". I assume that this title means that the original composition "Guitar Too, For Four" G2,44 is joined by live guest guitarists (Rafael Toral on the first track, various others including Thurston Moore on the second track) and there are two versions of it. Cryptography aside, what you have really got is two half-hour long drones composed of 24 tracks of manipulated guitar. The nature of the drone is very interesting. It has both acoustic and electronic characteristics. It has the unpredictably of a human component (a la Tony Conrad's violin drones or the hurdy gurdy drones of Keiji Haino) but it seems a little bit too clean to be purely generated by mechanical means. There is a hint of modulated sine-wave-style drone to the piece. This is the first time I have heard the two disparate styles overlap. If you compare it to Niblock's earlier drones like, for example, "The Unmentionable Piece for Trombone" starring the playing of George Lewis (Blast First Records), then this new piece is more minimalistic. There is less variation to the drone. However, the drone is rich (24 tracks + live musicians!) and textured and strangely soothing. There are no high frequencies and no erratic pops and scratches or other electroacoustic garnishes to distract the ears from the drone. A drone has really got to have something special to demand multiple listens. The two drones on G2,44+/x2 are compelling and I have been drawn back over the past couple weeks several times to listen to it again. David K.