Arguably, the guitar has been the focal point of post-1950s musical exploration. While synthesizers, computers, and perception-shattering theories such as those of the French Musique Concreté movement were unquestionably important advances in terms of what they allowed musicians to do, the sheer accessibility of the guitar for musicians of all experience and economic levels, as well as its iconic station in the popular music, helped to promote fascination with what the instrument was actually capable of. From the astral travels of Pink Floyd to the dissonant feedback of Sonic Youth, and from the psychedelic pop of the Beatles to the glacial grandiosity of Sigur Rós, the guitar became the center focus of modern day sonic investigation.

With the introduction of computers and powerful audio processing software, guitar experimentation quickly moved beyond the realm of pop music. Artists became capable of utilizing the tones and textures unique to the guitar, without having to give in to the traditions of guitar music. Just as the amplifier irrevocably changed the way guitarists approached their instrument, so has the integration of guitar and computer altered the way artists see the instrument: much less a sound producer, much more a sound source. As software applications become increasingly refined and computers become ever more affordable, the techniques of this new guitar experimentalism are starting to break out of the confines of academic music to help fuel adventurous strains of more pop-oriented music.

Taken from his landmark 2002 Playthroughs LP, Keith Fullerton Whitman’s “Acgtr Svp” is a wonderful slice of drifting ambience. Created when Whitman filtered his guitar pieces through homemade software, the process’ end result was this nine-minute sheet of sound woven from sine waves and harmonic overtones, all glossed over with a clean, digital sheen. While this track may have originated from an acoustic guitar, the instrument can barely be recognized in the end product. Instead, the sound of the original instrument acts as a trigger, interacting with Whitman’s software and creating new sounds that, by rights, shouldn’t be associated with the steel and wood of a guitar. Instead, the guitar almost sounds like some sort of intergalactic organ, constantly ebbing and swelling, enveloping the listener in a beatless soundscape of dense drones and extended tones as crystalline as frozen breath.

Where Whitman’s work falls well on the academic side of the spectrum, Takagi Masakatsu’s “Uter 1,” from his recent Journal for People, takes a decidedly more accessible approach to guitar processing. Rather than delving into immersive soundscapes as Whitman does, Masaksatus slices and dices the sound of his acoustic guitar into stuttering micro-beats that eventually overlap, giving way to episodes of interweaving rhythmic figures and resonant drones. This isn’t top 40 material but, considering that Masakatsu hasn’t excised every trace of traditional music from this piece, opting to leave beats and an almost identifiable melody in place, it’s definitely a step away from the academia that leaves so many listeners cold and a step closer to a more manageable sort of experimentation.

Bridging the gap effectively between the realms of avant garde and pop music is an achievement few artists have attained. With a few notable exceptions, the end result is always either just a little bit too experimental, or just a tad bit too mainstream. Earlier this spring, out of nowhere, Christopher Willits dropped the track “Colors Shifting” on the Ghostly International compilation Idol Tryouts Two. With brushed percussion, subtle strings, and hushed vocals draped over his signature rhythmic folded guitar processes, the song showcased a new fleshed out sound for Willits, and was one of the release’s standout cuts. It manages to marry the drifting qualities of Whitman’s work with the rhythmic figures of Masakatsu, all crammed into a delicious pop context. It’s a brilliant song, and somewhere, somehow, this should be a number one hit.

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