With(In)communicado gathers works composed and recorded by guitarist
David Dvorin from 1996 to 1998. The title-piece is actually as six-part suite scattered through the album. Its short movements all use telephone sounds (messages left on answering machines, automated messages, beeps, tones, hang-ups) paired with guitar and samples. One of the most effective parts is "Breakdown" with its twangy guitar line blended with message excerpts ("My machine doesn't talk to me"). The other works presented here range from solo and untreated guitar (acoustic) pieces ("Beams and Struts," "Left Open") to more developed compositions like the Frank Pahl-sounding "Swelled Head" or the beautiful "Jesart (3 in 1)," a programmatic piece dealing with the relation between art and religion, where the guitar is masqueraded as a church organ. The only piece failing to attract serious interest is "Calendar," an improvised guitar (electric) solo recorded 15 seconds at a time over a 30-day period: interesting concept, inconclusive result. Apart from this piece, With(In)communicado has a lot of daring and finely executed music to offer. ~ François Couture