You remember me describing Blackest Rainbow as “increasingly essential” the other week, don’t you? Of course you do; you were a little sceptical, thinking you would probably do a little research in your own time rather than taking me at face value, but then what with one thing and then the other, you just never got round to it, did you? No shame in that, I’m just saying, is all. So I have returned from a virtual trip to Norman Records with more evidence. Exhibit A: Cam Deas’ My Guitar Is Alive And It’s Singing. Exhibit B: Split LP from Ben Nash and Nautilus.

Cam Deas is a Sheffield-based guitarist who cites the likes of John Fahey and Robbie Basho as influences, but – intriguingly – also Derek Bailey. The first side of this LP is taken up with a twenty-minute Takoma school twelve string exposition entitled “The Waters Of Kvaloya”; slowly and studiously Deas builds and releases huge waves of tension, working in raga-like phrases as he goes, much earthier and rawer than fellow disciple James Blackshaw. The excellent title track on the reverse shows off the more experimental side. Deas plucks flintily and economically, sending strange, clipped, Bailey-esque phrases out amongst a crackling electronic hum. This side is rounded off with a previously released piece, entitled “As Spring Fell From The Leaves“, which features some devastating, fast and urgent fingerpicking.

Ben Nash mastered the Cam Deas LP, so it seems only fair to let him have a go in the studio too. His side of this split LP with Nautilus (aka Heidi Diehl from Vanishing Voice) features two very different guitar tracks. The first, “Plymouth”, is a dusty, bluesy slide-driven piece, rambling in huge, emotionally-charged circles. The second, “Brethren Blues” starts coyly, but erupts into life midway through with some ferocious and frazzled feedback, floating free to land softly. The Nautilus side is more intriguing still: “Still Rings” starts it off with semi-psychedelic raga fuzz, before the gorgeous “Tallahassee Woman” drifts in delightfully with distant-sounding folk guitar singing out across the plains. “Jean’s Theme” continues in a similar theme, with a crackle and drone finally consuming the scraps of melody.

Convinced yet? Both of these ae available now in limited quantities from Blackest Rainbow. There is also a Cam Deas / Spoono LP you can pick up while you are there, and that Aidan Baker too. You could try the lovely people at Norman Records for these too…