Black Eagle Child

Playing

BY Bryon HayesPublished Mar 9, 2016

7
Milwaukee resident Michael Jantz has quite a stellar discography under his belt thanks to his Black Eagle Child alter ego: He's dropped a plethora of ultra-limited musical objects for labels such as Digitalis Limited, Stunned, Blackest Rainbow and Space Slave Editions.
 
With Playing, Oklahoma-based musician Dylan Aycock's Scissor Tail Records joins the ranks of those imprints curatorially wise enough to release Jantz's crystalline, laser-etched guitar tapestries. It's not a surprise, really; with product from Scott Tuma, Wes Tirey and Nick Storring in the label's roster, the layered melodic sounds emanating from the Black Eagle Child camp are perfect Scissor Tail fodder. Jantz crafts his soundscapes with tightly wound snippets of guitar and subtle field recordings, such that the short repeating fragments of melody engage each other to create an almost trance-inducing effect. The hypnotic pieces of music are assembled by the musician, piece by piece, like a Lincoln Log construction with each element forming a foundation for the next.
 
It's a clever technique that, while not original, serves the end result quite well and lends a slight air of mystery to the music. The listener is almost goaded, with each measure, to guess what's coming next.
(Scissor Tail)

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