Every now and then an album comes along whose elegance and beauty lies in its simplicity - on_14’s “Aqua” is one such album. A random selection for my first listening from this release led me to the track titled “Distance“ , and I immediately knew that this album was meant for me. I was greeted with a soothing, guitar-based drone of translucent tones, ocean-like waves of gentle noise, and lightly distorted feedback. Along these lines, “Taste” is denser, slightly noisier guitar drone rumination with a beautiful, almost choral-like quality. “If” is a more restrained drone of soft, cascading tones and rising and falling volume. “Just Think Again” and “Wine” are both ambient guitar explorations - the first being a spacious, reverb-tinged composition of delicately plucked strings amidst gently strummed chords. When compared to the other tracks on this album, “Aqua” is a rather intense drone that captured me both with it’s minimal simplicity and melancholic atmosphere. Diana Bobics’ excellent rework of “Just Think Again” turns this track inside-out with its low rumblings, rougher textures, and generally more boisterous approach. This album is a must listen for any connoisseur of ambient music in general and especially for lovers of guitar-based drone. -LAJ- Elagant Guitar Ambience an Drones 5 LAJ 2006-05-06 05:04:28 2006-05-06 05:04:28 1 5.00