Fennesz Field Recordings 1995-2002
A compilation of Fennesz’s past work released in the wake of last year’s masterful Endless […]
A compilation of Fennesz’s past work released in the wake of last year’s masterful Endless Summer, the Austrian guitarist’s paean to ’60s surf culture might seem destined to disappoint. But, thankfully, destiny isn’t everything, and Field Recordings is a first-rate collection of vintage Fennesz in all his hazy, fuzzed out glory. The disc collects unreleased and previously released pieces from various compilations and EPs. And yet, it remains remarkably cohesive even as it plots the disparate points in Fennesz’s musical career, from the relatively early series of “Instrument” 12-inches to his most recent work, a quite glorious remix of Stefan Mathieu’s “Codeine.” There’s nary a dud on this excellent retrospective, with the notable exception of “Namewithnohorse” from Ash International’s Krev X, which-unexpectedly-goes nowhere fast.