Jefre Cantu-Ledesma

Berlin publishing house, Infinite Greyscale present a beautiful 2nd issue courtesy of West Coast sorrow-monger, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma of Tarentel and The Alps. In key with their other releases this week - a 10" by former Yellow Swan, Gabriel Saloman, the heavy-hearted 'Requiem (for violin and magnetic tape)' dredges up almost painfully powerful sentiments with a masterful appreciation of tone and shade. It's an ostensibly static piece of keening hi-end violin pitches and barely-there but somehow nauseous low-end ferric presence all occurring in a gauzily mesmerising mid-ground. The label rightly describe its effect as "crepuscular"; it possesses a beguiling phosphorescent quality, like a flickering light at night. Again, the impeccable mastering by Rashad Becker heightens the suspense on many levels, and the artwork by McDevitt and Quabeck, and Ulrich Schmidt-Novak's screenprint are a gorgeous addition to a lovely package. (boomkat)