Ruminate: Improvisations for Fretless Guitar and Dutar

American multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Marin is steeped in many music forms: on Ruminate he proves himself an imaginative interpreter of the Central Asian variety. He improvises using musical passages from the region, creating intense soundscapes – its obvious this is a Western musician employing and exploring textures from territories including the Caucasus, Iran and Turkey. This is not a criticism, simply noting that the music Marin plays – from tranquil soundscapes to intense drones – reflects a Western sonic approach different to that heard across Asia. He employs both a fretless acoustic guitar and dutar (the two-stringed lute that has been played across the Silk Road since the 15th century), manipulating modal effects that digitally mimic natural reeded woodwinds. Opener ‘Sunset’ has a peaceful ambience akin to the chilled sounds of Navajo flautist R Carlos Nakai. ‘Wings’ is an acoustic guitar meditation recalling both Davey Graham’s pioneering 1960s guitar work and Robbie Basho’s sarod-influenced acoustic guitar playing. ‘Rain’ finds him creating a tambura-style drone. The title-track is blues of the sort Ry Cooder developed with Ali Farka Touré. Densely textured but full of space, this album rewards listening.