willie lane: recliner ragas

Vinyl edition of Lane's first recordings, originally released in 2006 on Child of Microtones. An unbelievably potent and unique brew, this record is one of the finest specimens of modern day guitar soli. Recliner Ragas is, as the liner notes so aptly put it, the fruits of a winter spent 'exploring the possibilities of nature/total sound as religion, independent study, low wage exploitative manual labor and general isolation while cultivating giant modal blues ragas in his one room studio flophouse.' The vibe here is just dripping with this sense of deeply personal inquiry, a man-guitar-cosmos triad wherein all are one Utilizing intricate, yet simple, environmental refraction to create a tactile sense of 'space,' Willie plays rings around yr skull, completely circumventing rational cortices in favor of direct mainline transmission. The effect on the listener is spellbinding, truly psychedelic in a way few modern records can touch. Indeed, this one can easily be filed alongside any classic higher-minded string sounds, from Fahey or Bull to Popol Vuh or Heldon, without any sense of retread or nostalgia. Effortless runs and flows, this is timeless music, universal in nature. In another time, Willie would be a lauded court musician; in 21st century America, he works in a library, and employs a deft wit to navigate the cruder aspects of earthbound life, while continuing to charm his scrabbly blues muse in recent recordings on his Cord-Art imprint. And while his recent records have seen him drawing out more layered arrangements and varied tones, Recliner Ragas displays a singular vision, the kind of window into a private universe we dig here at Humito.