Richard Skelton: Landings (CD, Type, January 2010)

An exciting collection of 12 works for strings. There is a great ragged, wild feeling to this record, along with an intense sense of location — many tracks were apparently recorded in ruined farmhouses and the like, and this really comes through. The pace is always measured, but there is a great variety in technique, with the bowing effects ranging from smooth droning to a rough squeal. Little bits of tune repeat, with subtle mutations twisting through them. There is a fuzziness, and sometimes an echoing, but I suspect that these are products of the recording environment rather than studio cleverness. All in all, a fascinating and deeply enjoyable album.