Witnessing Tashi Dorji play guitar is almost like watching a caged tiger in multiple moods: in meditation, playing with it’s food, or lashing out against cold, steel bars. His skill is obvious, dexterous, and nimble; but, even more compelling is how brazenly out he can get over the course of a short improvisation. The dude takes you places, often risking entire “improvisational moods” for the sake of dynamism. This wild style WORKS for me —
I’m not always down with boring free-improv/woody guitar hoopla — if I’m enjoying the communication between freewheeling instruments, there better not be any tacit string scraping, put-on Americana bravado, or mousy, faux-Cagean slop (*you know who you are!). I like that energized, Bailey-style shit that Tashi owns so well.
Like a fresh pot of coffee, a new release comes to to refill the empty Dorjian cup (a cup that’s barely empty…he just got back from a tour with Richard Bishop AND released an album on Ben Chasny’s Hermit Hut).
Here, Dorji has paired up with bassist Frank Meadows for Number Six is Sacred — a frenetic collection of works that has the two “locked in” on a focused improvisational space that’s equal parts tension, release, and insane. Frank Meadows’ bow-sweeps and prepared fretwork help ground Dorji’s fierce runs and bursts; their movements diverge and reunite according to an unknowable psychic framework. Frank’s literally my boy and helped organize the Hopscotch TMT day party; so, I’m not gonna flatter him too much here :). But, jeez, they are some advanced players — they’re way beyond just proving they can sling out some acrobatic licks. Instead, they choose to focus on the materiality of their instruments, pushing their personal, idiosyncratic tendencies into an objectification of the potential freedoms accessible through a focused, instrumental process. It’s an abstract listen, one I’ll be using to craft potential mental narratives into autumn.
Purchase the beautifully packaged tape from Cabin Floor Esoterica, it comes with a rusty nail. Also, stream the album below:
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• Cabin Floor Esoterica: http://www.cabin-floor-esoterica.com