Elliott Sharp - In Camera (2023)

While the obvious notion of "in camera" has to do with photography, we can also imagine the 'camera obscura' transforming any chamber (camera) into a device for capturing an image. In this collection of miscellaneous pieces, E# presents a variety of singular studio recordings, his personal 'camera obscura', including some composed for film and video but never used. Ristretto is an electro-acoustic meditation on the creation of a cup of espresso, the elixir of life. Continuing in a caffeinated mode, Caphe Sua Da pays tribute to the classic Vietnamese iced coffee with a piece played on a Vietnamese Ghita Phim Lom, an electric guitar with deeply scalloped fingerboard and onboard electronics used for vong co music. There are also pieces for mandocello, steel guitar, acoustic guitar, organ, and E#'s invented instruments including the Arches H-Line and Slab (with a tribute to the late percussionist Z'ev).