Jeff Pearce "The Light Beyond" (Hypnos 2001) One of my favorite ambient guitarists for several years, Jeff Pearce has succeeded once again in pulling the rabbit out of the hat. The beauty and scope of textural music are vividly realized in Indiana guitarist/composer Jeff Pearce's "The Light Beyond". His followup to the highly-acclaimed 2000 release,"To the Shores of Heaven", "The Light Beyond" shares its predecessor's foundation of liquid, guitar-based atmospheric explorations. One of the most amazing things about the album is the fact that it was entirely improvised in the "Star's End" studios of WXPN radio in Philadelphia. Jeff created in real time and for the benefit of a live listening audience, a work that rivals his finest studio-recorded works. These instrumentals recall Pearce's deft turns of melody and tone illuminating the details of their flow. Threaded throughout the album is his ethereal, atmospheric, heavily processed and looped presence. This is music with spirit, ...both hypnotic and transcendent, born of Pearce's fusion of improvisation and superb arrangements. Sparse and carefully constructed, the musical elements hint at and understate themes, rather than forcefully asserting them. The guitar artistry on "The Light Beyond" is closely related to the sorcery of guitarists like Robert Fripp and David Torn. Mesmerizing soundscapes flourish amid the stark beauty of this music. "The Light Beyond" is music, which is expertly arranged, dynamic and very inventive. Pearce offers the listener both a rewarding and very highly entertaining journey of discovery. Review by Ben Kettlewell information: http://www.hypnos.com/

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