FENNESZ Vinyl & CDs

Review: It's been nearly three years since the release of Christian Fennesz's last solo album, which is almost an eternity given his track record of serving up several albums a year. The gap is in part down to a lengthy period between studio spaces, a situation that forced the Vienna-based experimentalist to go back to basics and record with minimal equipment in his bedroom (a similar process to that used in the early days of his career). Impressively, the results are every bit as beguiling as you'd expect, from the slowly unfurling manipulated guitars, swelling chords and heartbeat pulse of opener "In My Room", to the shoegaze ambient warmth of "We Trigger The Sun", via the fuzzy field recordings, thunderstorm electronics and emotion-stirring melodies of "Rainfall".

Review: "Endless Summer", originally released in 2001 by Mego, was a breakthrough album for Christian Fennesz. This album bought his name and music towards the first steps of mainstream recognition. Following on from the more experimental "Hotel Parallel" and the Beach Boys homage "Plays" single, "Endless Summer" brought the guitars more to the front, the electronics shimmered more, and the melodies shined more brightly. It went on to be a classic of its time, topping many end of year polls. This new definitive edition is newly mixed by Fennesz resulting in a more open sounding version of the tracks, especially the marimba driven "Caecilia", the hypnotic "Before I Leave", and the towering "Happy Audio". It is also re-mastered by Denis Blackham at Skye, and has beautifully photographed artwork by Jon Wozencroft.

Review: On "Cendre" Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christian Fennesz blend the unstructured and imaginative qualities of improvisation with the satisfying sculpture of composition. Sakamoto's piano, his style reminiscent of Debussy and Satie, perfectly complements Fennesz with his powerful blend of shimmering guitar and passionate electronics.

Review: On "Cendre" Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christian Fennesz blend the unstructured and imaginative qualities of improvisation with the satisfying sculpture of composition. Sakamoto's piano, his style reminiscent of Debussy and Satie, perfectly complements Fennesz with his powerful blend of shimmering guitar and passionate electronics.