Genre/Influences: Experimental, abstract & psychedelic.

Content: Roman Leykam is an artist I discovered through several collaborations with Frank Meyer. Those artists clearly deal with experimental music and some abstract avant-garde sound. But next to his work together with Frank Meyer, experimental guitar player Roman Leykam also releases solo-albums.

His newest work rapidly appears to be the most experimental one I’ve heard. “Realm Of Shades” was composed with electric guitars, guitar synths and e-bow guitars while you also will discover multiple guitar sound treatments. The guitar remains the epicenter of this work, which often sounds pretty anarchistic in sound, sometimes a little less psychedelic while I can’t get away from the idea that it all sounds much improvised. The compositions don’t really sound like ‘music’ compositions rather than sound experiments where the result of manipulations and studio effects become more important than song structures, verses and choruses.

The work is a pure sound collage revealing multiple guitar sounds that have been transposed into new noises. Some of these ‘noises’ are absolutely cool and I especially refer to the kind of monstrous sound emerging at “The Aftermath.” I also became fascinated by the e-bow guitar, which is something really special and very experimental as well.

This work is meant for real die-hard fans of experimental music or do I have to call it ‘anti-music’. There for sure is an audience for all kinds of music and experiments, but I’m afraid this new Roman Laykam release will only catch the attention of a very restricted number of listeners.

Conclusion: Different guitars and guitar effects have been pushed towards a real distant border of experimentalism. It’s the kind of work that will only ravish the most extreme lovers of experimental music while I already heard more fascinating releases from Frank Mark Arts.

Best songs: “The Aftermath”, “Vexing”.

Rate: (DP:5)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/FrankMeyerAndRomanLeykam

Label: www.frank-mark-arts.com