Chihei Hatakeyama appears to have mastered the art of subtle guitar drones, evidenced by earlier releases like Above the Desert. From the arid land to the infinite expanse of water comes Thousand Oceans, a work of ethereal ambience that continues and expands upon Hatakeyama's learned drone work. 

Over eight tracks, each ranging in length from four to six minutes, the amount of processing and time-stretching renders the original input source (the guitar) almost unrecognizable. In lieu of jangly attack, decay, and resonance (or even strumming), Hatakeyama isolates the frequency ranges of his chosen instrument, literally transforming the stringed voice into a smooth sine wave – satiny like surface of the ocean.

There are no doubt many tricks that Hatakeyama employs to achieve these guitar washes, which are mostly hidden from our ears. One effect, however, reveals itself over and over again: pitch shifting. This rather rudimentary of guitar modulations is remarkable for the way that each step up glides, emerges, almost autonomously, erasing any trace of the artist's intentions. This sleight of hand is no parlor trick, though, as it functions in service of emulating the structure, and not just the sound of, the ebbs and flows of the ocean, a fickle beast if ever there were one. There is never a moment or track that jumps in or announces itself through differentiation. Instead, each drone exists as if it were always there and reflects Hatakeyama's degree of precision and mastery.

Fans of Hatakeyama's work will surely appreciate the unique dedication to the ocean here, as will anyone who wishes to be attuned to the subtle, sonic analogies between processed guitar and the rise and fall of a wave. Highly recommended.