The follow up to Robin Guthrie’s ‘Atlas’ EP (released in July 2024), ‘Astoria’ presents four more very laid back instrumental pieces which not only show off the one-time Cocteau Twins’ composer and guitarist’s talents, but really add new depth to his solo work. Three of its four tracks aren’t especially immediate, but in time, all of the musical sketches will feel as essential as anything from Eno’s classic years, or those fantastic discs by Jansen Barbieri Karn.
The exceptionally mellow ‘Starting Fires’ marks out a place as one of Guthrie’s best solo recordings when sharing a mournful melody. The way Robin layers chiming notes over a blanket of soft, almost jazzy sounds blends a dreampop aesthetic with a strong new age vibe at first, but everything builds very effectively. Utilising a jazzy drum part to mark out an almost waltz-ish rhythm makes the number feel a little busier than some of his other pieces, but its hard to argue that the blend of ambient and dreampop elements isn’t still aimed squarely at the chill out crowd. Particularly pleasing here is the way Guthrie weaves a guitar part borrowing tones from The Cure’s ‘Disintegration’ LP into something with a dominant electric piano. By the time the volume increases enough to feel a little more like a mournful indie workout from the late 80s, this number shares a supreme confidence; it wouldn’t be a great leap to imagine it gracing the end titles of a film.
Opting for purer, ambient tones, the four minute ‘Jura’ owes a massive debt to Brian Eno’s minimalist works. Long synth drones fill the piece, with slowly changing chords throughout, whilst further unassuming melodies drift in via occasional bass and a higher tone that sounds like a manipulated guitar sample. In terms of feel and sound, it’s hard not to be reminded of ‘An Ascent’ from Eno’s wonderful ‘Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks’ from ’83. Despite not really taking ambient elements anywhere striking or new, when listened to on a loop to create an extended state of blissed out sound, this really works. As if to create the yang to ‘Jura’s yin, ‘Smoulder’ dials back the synths and concentrates on guitar. Here, Guthrie drops various melodic sketches that could be an intro to a Cocteau Twins deep cut or two, before bringing in echoing rhythms to underscore a beautiful melody that sounds like a dream pop act re-working an older Vangelis piece. If there’s any criticism to be made, however, it’s that at just under four minutes, this is a little too short. By the time the melody finds its stride and the listener starts to feel moved, the final notes are already thinking about their inevitable fade. Still, settling for what’s offered, it’s rather lovely and, in time, those who’ve enjoyed previous Guthrie solo works will consider this a favourite track
Joining those numbers, the sedate ‘A Most Remarkable Woman’ strips everything down even further. By first presenting a wash of keys that draw influence from classic Tangerine Dream, the number hints at a love of ambient sounds, but as with the rest of this EP, Guthrie uses the simple base to build something beautiful. A very gentle bass riff presents a simple melody, and using that as a core, a wealth of dream pop tones arrive via the guitar, sharing something that could easily be compared with an old Cocteau Twins melody with extra depth. This would be enough alone to make this instrumental sketch work, but there’s a final shift in tone when a bigger guitar part brings more than a hint of classic prog rock, and occasionally Floydian elements. In a little over two and a half minutes, Robin unveils a whole wave of sound, leaving the listener with something that, despite its brevity, feels both satisfying and complete.
For those who enjoyed the ‘Atlas’ EP, ‘Astoria’ should be considered a very welcome counterpart. It’s more than that, though: when approached as a stand alone piece, its four tracks still showcase a brilliant musical talent. Despite having a heart within early 80s ambient sounds and classic sounding 90s dreampop, Guthrie’s soundscapes have a timeless quality. Whether you’re already a Cocteau Twins fan or merely someone interested in ambient soundtracks, this is an essential download.
December 2024