Andrew Pekler

Over the course of four albums in five years, Andrew Pekler has become increasingly more difficult to pigeonhole. His first two records mined his interest in fusing electronic jazz with glitch-dub. The results were not that memorable, given that then label-mate Jan Jelinek was exploring similar territory to broader appeal and critical acclaim. In a sense, Pekler and Jelinek are kindred spirits: both have improved by leaps and bounds within the last three years; Pekler was instrumental in the creation of Jelinek’s groundbreaking 2005 Kosmischer Pitch album; and much of that record’s early ’70s kosmische fixation (Cluster, Popul Vuh) has rubbed off on him. In fact, if Pekler’s own 2005 album, Strings + Feedback, can be seen as a creative awakening toward the fringes of guitar music’s experimental history, then his latest on Kranky is a stunning realisation of that turning point’s cosmic potential. Without a doubt, Cue sees Andrew Pekler at his intuitive best. Thematically structured along the lines of old, obscure library music, Cue, a Wurlitzer-doused psych/ambient journey through the annals of kosmische rock, is a captivating listen. Kosmische rock, an early ambient cousin of space rock, surely deserves a resurgence. Jan Jelinek and Andrew Pekler stand as two fantastic ambassadors. (Kranky, www.kranky.net)