On his recent three-track EP, Lumien, Jari Pitkänen places simple guitar lines amid lush fields of dark atmospherics. The combination works, and not only because that moaning background sound can be heard as a kind of extended feedback from the guitar itself. It also helps that the guitar playing is slow, with a melodic component nuanced enough to not strike the ear like a pop song might.
The title track sets the tone with a single-note lead and reflective setting that sounds like Daniel Lanois producing a John Fahey record (MP3). “Muistot” adds a light choral element (MP3) and “Nousevat” some pinging highlights (MP3). The collection was released for free download on January 21. More details at the netlabel, enoughrecords.scene.org, and at Pitkänen’s myspace.com/jaripitkanen page.