Aidan Baker — Book of Nods
People go on and on about how prolific Aidan Baker is, and, of course that's correct. With over forty releases with which he has been associated since 2000, it's undeniable. As with any artist who puts forth a seemingly endless stream of material, it's easy to take for granted the overall quality of his work. And while it's hard to maintain a wide degree of variety for any artist, regardless of the volume of their catalog, Aidan Baker has proven time and again that he's got plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Book of Nods is a mostly low-key affair, and as a result is upon first glance somewhat unobtrusive. It doesn't represent the noisy, doom laden side of Baker's psyche. Instead, it takes us down a peaceful, mostly calm path. It does build up a little steam occasionally, particularly on the appropriately named Obsession, which swirls and works it's way into a whirlpool of quiet activity beneath a sheath of undulating organ tones. The use of percussion accents and patterns drives the theme home almost subliminally.
Baker's guitar throughout the album is tastefully employed. Even when quietly picking notes, he creates an ethereal cloud, a kind of misty fog which blankets everything in a disorienting haze. These pieces seem held together by very little, as they are made up of tones which spread out quietly in different directions, atop the aforementioned ambience. At times, these pieces remind of the stately drones of Stars of the Lid, and other moments resemble the guitar, piano and moog patterns of early Tangerine Dream. But these resemblances are fleeting; Baker allows time for the repetitions to make their impact, then moves on. Wandering tones piece together the subtle changes seamlessly. The movement of Book of Nods is natural, flowing and without artifice. Another very good work for Beta Lactam-Ring Record's Black series.