Lights

Spellbinding loops of layered guitar effects from DC area ambient wizard Jeff Barsky. Always versatile and cutting-edge, these pieces delve into the abstract and accessible alike. Hard to describe or pigeonhole but somewhere in the same galaxy as early minimalist pioneers Terry Riley or Steve Reich’s experiments that were then translated onto guitar by Robert Fripp. Though he pulls lots of clever tricks with ebow, signal-cutting, and delay, Jeff’s also growing as a straightforward fingerpicking virtuoso. There’s beauty in here for all moods and atmospheres.

1. (2:04) dissonant looping cycle of tones
2. (2:08) another loop, much more mellow
3. (3:39) a buzzing loop, sounds like crickets and broken guitars
4. (3:09) sparse, cluttered windchimey loops
5. (4:06)* dark, echoing foggy blips of dense guitar drones
6. (3:23) pretty fingerpicked melody, a bright multilayered lullaby
7. (14:56)*** epic melancholy waves of guitar-drone bliss, this is the Insect Factory we know and love
8. (7:06)** drones and bluesy lead guitar noodling, a “tribute” most likely to Fripp & Eno
9. (2:22) slow twinkly beeping loops