Music to My Ears
It's been awhile since I've gotten an unannounced CD in the mail (keep 'em coming!), so here's a review in honor of random promotional mailings. Ted Killian's "Flux Aeterna" solo outing CD is an exercise in emotive and ambient guitar, sample, and loop work recorded in Medford, Oregon. The opening track, "Hubble," is a brief anthem that pays tribute "The Star-Spangled Banner." But make no mistake, Ted's no Yngwie Malmsteen or Joe Satriani. Eschewing finger-fast technique for layered guitar exploration, the subsequent tracks, at their more energetic and interesting moments, remind me of a guitar-driven instrumental cross between Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and Zirbel -- while they avoid any semblance of beat-driven techno or dance. This is experimental guitar for the Starscape set. Think Mike Hersch. While not overtly technically adept or classically composed, "Flux Aeterna" makes for some interesting background noise, if not repeated, studious listens, and its wide(ish) range of stylings -- from "Cauterant Baptism"'s eventual burst of Locust Abortion Technician-era Butthole Surfers-style noise and "Recurvate Plaint"'s more ballad-oriented approach to "Convocation Solitaire"'s near-Bill Frisell nuances -- make me wonder where Ted comes from musically... as well as where he's going. pfMentum, P.O. Box 1653, Ventura, CA 93002.

P.S. Send me your CD, and I will listen to it.