Chris Forsyth — Kenzo Deluxe
Chris Forsyth is a veteran of Philadelphia's improv scene, having been part of the experimental three-piece Peeesseye since 2002. Here though he has decided to perform in a strictly unaccompanied setting, electing to go into a recording studio alone for three days to record
just his guitar with no overdubs (with co-production help from Sun City Girls' producer Scott Colburn). The results, spread across 40 minutes, are five servings of bare electric guitar.
It opens with 'The First 10min of Cocksucker Blues' and, not having seen the notorious Rolling Stones' film the title references, it's unclear what the muted blues is aiming for. It wanders along at a casual pace like an outtake from an Earth session until the slide guitar work gets a little fried and interrupts the regularity of the piece before it chimes to a close.
'Down and Ups', also released on a split cassette with Loren Connors earlier this year, has a simple, gentle melody that's reminiscent of the verse from Velvet Underground's 'Jesus'. But instead of gaining salvation we're nimbly sedated by Forsyth's rippling, burnished pluckery.
Two versions of a track called Boston St Lullaby open and close the second half of this release. The first (confusingly titled 'no. 2') introduces both a crusty distortion and a tremelodic effect to form a forlorn bluesy wasteland of guitar smoke. 'No. 1', on the other hand, focusses on the rich sounds of the strings unadorned by effects to create a more elegant and melancholy song.
In between is East Kensington Run Down, a bare and repeating rock ballad riff ripe for the sorta gravelly vocals of, say, Mark Lanegan,to lament over. Stretched over ten minutes, it eventually reduces to small, tapping notes that introduce some noodly soloing before getting bolder to finish.
Kenzo Deluxe's studious focus left these ears fatigued as they waited for some kind of drama or attitude, something beyond technique, mistakes even, to make the experience more engaging. In exploring his musical heritage in such a devoted, microscopic and minimal way. Forsyth clearly displays a scholarly, crafted method, yet the overall effect can feel soporific, a little cold and academic.