Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset should be no stranger to fans of the ECM Records roster, as he's appeared on numerous recordings over the years from artists such as Nils Petter Molvaer, Arve Andersen, Jon Hassell, and Marilyn Mazur, but Dream Logic is his first as a leader for the legendary jazz label. Joining Aarset here on Dream Logic is Jan Bang on samples, programming, and dictaphone, leaving all guitars, bass, percussion, and other assorted samples and programming to Eivind.
Much of Dream Logic is full of meditative, droning soundscapes, not quite jazz, not quite ambient, not quite avant-garde, but encompassing all and somewhere in-between. Aarset has a way with creating dark, haunting soundscapes using his guitar and plenty of effects, veering slightly from the path that King Crimson legend Robert Fripp goes on his solo excursions but yet not quite so far off. Tracks like "Jukai (Sea of Trees)" and "Surrender" are minimalistic in their approach yet pack plenty of menace and chilling atmosphere. For some, there's simply not going to be enough going on here to keep your attention span motivated, as Dream Logic is by no means your traditional sounding jazz guitar album, but occasionally Aarset really hits on some unique sounds, as on "Close (Variations I & II)" or the brooding melancholy of "The Whispering Forest". Unfortunately, there's just not enough compelling material delivered here on a consistent basis, as much of Dream Logic just meanders along, one track after another morphing into the next with not much variation in sight. Even as background noise, it's just not all that interesting despite some moments of beauty.
Track Listing
1) Close (For Comfort)
2) Surrender
3) Jukai (Sea of Trees)
4) Black Silence
5) Active
6) Close (Variation I)
7) Reactive
8) Homage to Greene
9) The Whispering Forest
10) Close (Variation II)
11) The Beauty of Decay
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