Oakland-based musician Zachary James Watkins has learnt from the very best. His Mills College education brought him into contact with the likes of Fred Frith, Pauline Oliveros and Alvin Curran - setting him up rather nicely for a career in the world of the avant-garde. A bit of a polymath when it comes to musical styles, Watkins is as comfortable with heavy noise as he is with subtle electronic experimentation, currently motivated by the healing power of high-vibration resonance. As he himself says, “the conscious investigation of harmonic tunings, acoustic resonance as well as social relationships can yield powerful experiences.”

Practicing his unique form of musicianship for the best part of two decades,  Watkins hit the ground running back in 2006 winning the Paul Merritt Henry Prize for his composition ‘Suite for String Quartet’ and since then his work been performed by the Kronos Quartet and Ravel Chacon among others. Not content with working solo, Watkins likes to mix it up with his fellow artists featuring as part of Pink Canoes, Black Spirituals and most recently duo Foreign/Domestic with John Diaz, where the two musicians explore the idea of high vibration resonance, which also forms the basis his latest release, Affirmative Action where we find Watkins embracing harmonic guitar, electronics and ‘resonant space’.

The album itself is bookended by two epic compositions with more delicate pieces sitting in between. The opening track ‘Black Love’ is a twelve-minute tour-de-force that kicks off with static noise before guitar proper enters. This is a freeform noise extravaganza of highs and lows that drives its listeners into submission. But then comes the complete change in direction, as we move through the six (lettered) stanzas that fall under the collective title of ‘Affirmative Action’. Here the sonic adventure is far more restrained centring once again around Watkins’ harmonic guitar, but this time more as an accompaniment.

Part ‘A’ is a soothing intro to this new phase with resonance extracted via single notes, subtle guitar and background electronic vibration. The subsequent five pieces continue this interplay. ‘B’ sees guitar and xylophone gently mirroring one another, playing out a two-note rhythm alongside discordant guitar. And where ‘D’ is the most melodic, ‘E’ is reminiscent of the minimalist, rhythmic aesthetic embraced most obviously by the likes of Glass and Reich. As we fade out with the pseudo-medieval ‘F’, it’s time for the arresting finale.

‘Texas Jail House Rock for Sandra Bland’ is dedicated to the 28-year-old Bland, an African American woman found tragically hanged in a jail cell in Texas in 2015 – shining a spotlight on the affirmative action of the title.  Coming full circle back to the sonic onslaught of the opener – this is a music brimming with anger. Drums enter, in conversation with one another, before the guitar brings the real intensity and drums slowly drift into the background. Respite comes in the last five minutes and as the final notes land, so does reflective stillness. Fired through with the heat of injustice – this is a vital listen. Listen here.