Wes Willenbring was forced into taking piano lessons at the age of seven, and after years of arduous practice he eventually turned to the guitar so he could learn the chord progression to “Lay Lady Lay.” An obsession with recording techniques and aesthetics then led to a disturbingly large collection of equipment and microphones. After years of writing and recording music both solo and in a variety of collaborations he has now set up home and studio in San Francisco.

Willenbring’s songs revolve around the primary elements of piano and guitar. They are disassembled, reconstructed and manipulated to create music that is both visceral and expressive. This bridging of melody and texture, of form and formlessness act to draw the listener into territory that is at once unknown yet intimately familiar.

His first album for Hidden Shoal Recordings (to be released on the 26th of Feb, 2007), “Somewhere Someone Else”, is a work of muted radiance. Sounds of piano and guitar wash in and out of recognition, providing a kind of dislocated comfort. The album slowly breathes in and out with an un-deniable melancholic warmth, like a sad dream you don’t want to wake from. Traversing some of the post ambient territories of peers such as Windy and Carl, The Dead Texan and Labradford, “Somewhere Someone Else” manages to carve its own unique sonic and emotional landscape.

Influences

The Dead Texan, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, Windy and Carl, Brian Eno

Website

http://music.hiddenshoal.com/artists/wes-willenbring