Softly Tomorrow Track

"Ghostly, haunting, spectral" - all of these adjectives can be used to describe the music found on "Century of Moonlight." However, the spindly beauty of this recent Oregon transplant's guitar work outshines any morose adjectives that you can throw at it. Understated, yet fascinating and intricate guitar lines are backed by a hushed coo and are at various times augmented with a lush harmonium drone, percussion, and effects that seem to stretch each note out to the spirit world. This is Ilyas Ahmed's fourth release, and the first to be put out on a label other than his own. Of course, Nemo over at Time-lag HQ knows a good thing when he hears it: "Century of Moonlight" is a six-song masterpiece. Tracks such as "Softly, Tomorrow," "Red Spring," and "The Gathering" serve to draw the listener deep into inner space, while the excellent "Your One Mind," and "Seen Through" call forth the spirits of the great steel guitar gods of yore. "Kabhi ma Boley Ashista" is a beautiful droning raga that will leave the hair on your neck standing straight up. Packaged in a gorgeous burnt-orange tri-folded sleeve, "Century of Moonlight" is a magical excursion through the mysterious night. With Ilyas Ahmed as our guide through this strange penumbra, we have nothing to fear. 9/10 (-review by Byron Hayes at Digitalis Industries)