By Don Phipps

On his album Kóln Solo, Elliott Sharp continues his mission: to
stretch the sound of music. Recorded dwell, the compositions spotlight
digital sounds blended with guitar – with voicings that appear to stretch
from distant galaxies right down to the collisions of sub-atomic particles.

His composition “Summary” begins with a form of drumbeat that evolves into
scrapes, tinkles, slides, and virtually insect like expressions. The guitar
plucking rambles after which explodes, and fierce fingerings mix with darkish
summary chords. Consider creaking stairs late at evening or the deep
harmonies of crickets on a late summer season evening.

On “Garble,” the pops and clangs startle and amuse. Aggressive assaults
with gorgeous virtuosity greet the listener on “Farrago.” Sharp’s guitar
howls like a wounded coyote – alone staring on the evening sky. The necessity to
sound tuneful has been jettisoned – changed with the necessity to go past.
The flurries, like snow scattering in robust winds, at occasions depart one
breathless. At different occasions, the music stretches like a rubber band, all the time
feeling prefer it’s about to pop however by no means does.

Sharp admits to being influenced by Jimi Hendrix. And on “Craton,” the
lengthy legato arcs of the guitar actually recommend a distant relationship to
the 60s icon. What one should come to grasp is that underneath Sharp, sound
turns into music. Now 72, he has not shied away from producing
uncompromising efforts. The listener needs to be ready for a journey each
odd and engaging. With Sharp’s music, ceaselessly isn’t far-off.

This video reveals Sharp’s fashion however it’s not from Köln Solo: