Carl Weingarten / Walter Whitney: Dreaming In Colors Vinyl LP

Forgotten new age masterpiece by St. Louis slide guitarist Carl Weingarten and keyboardist Walter Whitney, originally released in 1985 on Weingartens own Multiphase imprint. Dreaming In Colors was recorded in between sessions of the their main band Delay Tactics, allowing the duo to focus on more subverted guitar work and hi-profile synth textures than their main project. You cant help but notice a distinctly cinematic feel running through Dreaming In Colors, probably something to do with Weingartens background (and day job) as a cinematographer shooting Super 8 film. Mermaid opens the record; a vivid scene fleshed out with synth arps, pads and echoing vocal samples before Weingartens disarmingly beautiful slide guitar comes in. The rest of the album makes good use of Whitneys cache of synths, gently incorporating Weingartens guitar in a way thats never subtractive. The most transcendental moments exploit the grey area between these instruments; about halfway through both the title track and Maiden Flight, you sorta lose track of where the guitar ends and the synthesizer begins (in a weird way, Dreaming In Colors sounds like the missing link between Oneohtrix Point Nevers early tapes and his later proggy guitar stuff). Other highlights include the crystalline Painted Lake, high-tension FM synth drama of Obsession and sublime arpeggios of Pathways. This repress comes courtesy of Emotional Rescue, who describe themselves as a reissue label for lost or forgotten tracks, remastered and pressed on vinyl with love. If youre looking for arbitrarily hyped-up new age / ambient popularized by algorithms, keep it moving Dreaming In Colors is a lost gem for true lovers of beautiful synth music only. Recommended.

• full-color reverse board jacket
• printed inner sleeve w/ photos + liner notes
• music label: Emotional Rescue 2018

reviewed byTed Drewes 05/2018