New Music for the Harp of Avalon

New Music for the Harp of Avalon is the latest release from Brighton-based musician and producer Fane. Where Fane’s previous releases leaned heavily on drones, distortion and ambient electronics, his new record centres around a 12-string acoustic guitar, tuned to a supposedly magical frequency. The opening track is an expansive shred on a land zither (an instrument that uses a hole in the ground as a resonator) – an impressive feat for sure, but at nearly 23 minutes it struggles to stay dynamic, while the irregular tones and tuning also limit it from being a particularly successful background listen. The 11-minute ‘Blessed Tones of Chaos Magick’ is a more engaging effort, as Fane lets the track decide its own fate, building from mellow synths to menacing drones and sinister distortion via a Buchler Easel V plugin. While this album is at times a little too caught up in its own esotericism, it’s an interesting premise, and very technically adept in its execution.