Ilyas Ahmed - With Endless Fire (2012) / Acoustic Rock, Psych Folk, Minimal, Drone

Ilyas Ahmed began playing minimal American folk acoustic guitar instrumentals interspersed with electric guitar that progressed into Middle Eastern folk scales (from his Pakistani roots) and additional instrumentation adding greater depth to the guitar lines with various drones, primarily weak vocals.

With Endless Fire is the next piece to Ahmed’s building of meditative guitar. The first half of “Now Sleeps” is droning vocal chants and synthesizer that becomes the foundation to a Neil Young style acoustic and electric guitar combo with cheap marching percussion appended to the end; the guitars are replicated in “Stained Sky”. “Skin in Circles” is reminiscent of Roy Montgomery’s solo guitar on And Now the Rain Sounds Like Life is Falling Through It.

“Every Minute of Every Hour” thins out the guitar for an extremely delicate ballad, indiscernible because of the echo/reverb on Ahmed’s vocals. “Sapphire” is the most meditative piece with electric guitar pulses, languid spurts of acoustic guitar, and distant vocal drones. “My Mirage” is half David Crosby inspired acoustic guitar strumming and the second half adds a more fluid version of Neil Young’s solemn electric guitar fuzz. “By the Light” ends the album on a romantic tone with soft guitar strumming and nonchalant soloing.

Ilyas Ahmed on With Endless Fire :
"This record started out during an extended period of decline and gradually shifted focus to let more light in, to reconcile the murky depths and the ecstatic highs of everyday life. I wanted to make music that was "of" rather than "by". It was the first time I felt there was no separation between head & hands, instruments & speakers, microphones & air, fuzz pedals & tape machines. The songs are inspired equally by memory, loss, love, and electricity."