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2022 In Review : Carl Weingarten And The Return Of Delay Tactics
The first time I became aware of musician Carl Weingarten was back in 2018. Azure Vista Records label head Jonas Munk sent me a copy of Weingarten’s 1985 album Living In The Distant Present, which Munk was re-issuing on Azure Vista on vinyl. The album had a short cassette run when it came out, so this was the first time the album was being released on wax. Carl’s record floored me. It was this…
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Complex Distractions Presents : JHubner's Favorite Albums of 2018 Part Three
Complex Distractions Presents : JHubner’s Favorite Albums of 2018 Part Three
I rather enjoy talking about the passions in my life. Whether it be books that inspired me or films that rewired my brain or records that changed me for the better, I can get lost in the prose. Obsessing over the details has been my modus operandi since I was in short pants. I’ve always been that way. Being a kid and collecting GI Joe action figures, on the backs of the cardboard they were…
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Bliss Out : On The Record Part Three With Azure Vista Records and Label Runner Jonas Munk
Bliss Out : On The Record Part Three With Azure Vista Records and Label Runner Jonas Munk
There’s truly some magic coming from Denmark. There’s this sort of otherworldly power the emanates from the ground and spacial shores that outline the Baltic Sea, Kattegat, Skagerrat, and The Lakes, Copenhagen. Proof of this? Look no further than El Paraiso Records. In part one of this record label series I discussed El Paraiso and all the forward-thinking artists that have been curated and…
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Carl Weingarten : Living In The Distant Present
Carl Weingarten : Living In The Distant Present
Listening to Carl Weingarten’s excellent Living In The Distant Present I wonder why this album wasn’t far more well known. To my ears, it feels like one of the preeminent ambient albums. Forward-thinking, vast, and engaging guitar, looping, and synth excursions that invite the listener to get lost in these ethereal musical landscapes. Weingarten sat down with nothing but a guitar, distortion…
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Reviews 048: Carl Weingarten & Walter Whitney
The long awaited re-issue of Carl Weingarten & Walter Whitney’s Dreaming in Colors is finally here, courtesy of the reliably brilliant Emotional Rescue. This album kicks off an exciting string of Weingarten related re-issues on the label, bringing to a wider audience the art of this absolute champion of guitar-based kosmische and new age. Recorded in the early 80s during the off-time for Delay Tactic’s Any Questions? and serving as the final vinyl release on Carl’s Multiphase label, Dreaming in Colors sees the duo fusing cosmic aquatic synthesis, dreamy sampling, and gigantic waves of echo guitar, resulting in a shimmering gem of American space music.
Carl Weingarten & Walter Whitney - Dreaming in Colors (Emotional Rescue, 2018 Re-issue) “Mermaid” is well named, evoking both the beauty and mysterious darkness associated to those mythical beings. Aquatic percolating synth bubbles and thick ominous Blade Runner pads surround breathy vocal sounds, and we occasionally swim towards the light with bright chord progressions and climactic fuzz guitar opalescence. “Dreaming in Colors” inhabits a similarly darkened space, with glossy drops of liquid guitar sitting aside cascading zither/harp tones. Dusky fuzz soloing is accented by hugely cosmic washes of echo guitar, vibrant and glowing, reminding me of Mark Banning’s Journey to the Light. And “Pathways” starts with shadowy e-bow effects and layers of sci-fi synthesis before smash cutting to a majestic passage of spellbinding prog sequencing. It’s a triumphant sunrise celebration with new age piano sprinkled over top, light as morning dew, and a soporific ending of airy synths and birdsong. I can’t help but think of the ambient interludes in Yes’s prog epics. Similarly exuberant and progressive is “Pipe Winds”, beginning on trippy vocal sequencing and Berlin school arps. Flutey reverb sounds…the titular pipe winds…dance playfully with abstract flashes of fading fuzz guitar, as soft percussive clicks and snare give everything a heady krautrock pulse. The A-side ends with “Rainsong”, which is especially notable for being an unreleased bonus track. Rain patters and thunder roars while seabirds and other oceanic fauna converse underneath the clouds. Magical waves of space guitar are joined by synth-wind and cascading chimes, all the elements coming together for an organic yet barely there driftscape.
The B-side opener “Ritual” is the album’s most explosive cut. Bouncy sequencing, draped in fog, underlies these angelic waves of synth and guitar while massive stadium sized fuzz leads roar across the sky. It’s positively unhinged space guitar brilliance, presaging Steven Wray Lobdell and his Davis Redford Triad. Blissed out pads and dark droning bass synths move in and out of the mix, with twinkling starlight sequences and propulsive cymbals helping shape the triumphant glide. “Maiden Flight” maintains the intensity, as romantic and mountainous string synths float over swirling bass drones and rapid fire sequencing. Things take on a darker hue as cerebral feedbacking guitar weaves in and out of the entrancing electronic orchestrations and thundering timpanis signal a cinematic climax of emotional soloing and sparkling arpeggiations. There are more fiery guitar atmospherics to be had in “Obsession”, alongside hypnotic loops, meandering bass synths, and some totally alien pads that splash like liquid neon. At times, the disjointed sonic elements come together for these huge and wonderful laser blasts of galactic sound, and the track ends on strange effected vocal samples atop seasick looping. “Painted Lake” is an island of calm amid these three intense tracks, featuring clean guitar curlicues, joyous piano chords, and placid synth leads over methodical bass pulses under panning echo. Another moment of light comes with closer “In the Sun”, here remixed by Noah Perry (who also did a fantastic job on the mastering). It’s a peaceful coda for acoustic guitar, backed by psychedelic synth effects and noisy waves washing ashore on some cosmic beach. The guitar line is is simple and plaintive, bringing a touch of Americana as we return to Earth.
(images taken from my personal copy)
Carl Weingarten & Walter Whitney
Friends guitarist Carl Weingarten and songwriter Bob Reuter being interviewed on WMRY-FM jazz radio in East St. Louis in August 1985. Carl was interviewed regarding his work with Bob and his band Delay Tactics. This is the late Bob Reuter's portion of the interview and includes an unreleased studio recording. Bob Reuter w/Carl Weingarten WMRY-FM Interview & Music 8/1/1985 (Excerpt) by Multiphase Records
