The titles of Andy Cartwright’s, aka Seabuckthorn’s, instrumental pieces often address the themes of loss, transparency, vapour and smoke, such as Of Disappearance, Near Translucent and I Could See the Smoke. This English guitarist is as reserved as he is essential in his approach, and these images almost serve as manifestos. This is one man who does not use music as an ego boost… instead, with the patience of a poet, he strives to break down and tame his ego, stripping his music back to a rough or ghostly state with sensitive forms, imaginary landscapes and simply extraordinary soundscapes in a theatre of shadows where dreams and invention run wild. Cartwright achieves this by utilising all the sounds made by a 12-string acoustic guitar and resonator guitar, extending or honing their echoes using a variety of methods, including effects, bows and percussion. The perfect tools for this virtuoso of light and dark, a master caught between two worlds, juggling between land and sky, melody and murmurs, the figurative and the abstract. By weaving between the lines, Seabuckthorn can also blur the boundaries of space and time, like other visionary guitarists (e.g. Robbie Basho, Jack Rose, Ben Chasny). He loves nothing more than uncovering hidden passageways and stolen paths linking different eras and genres. Despite his minimalism, his approach gives him a large, far-reaching vision, with a blend of baroque lute, Delta blues, American primitive guitar and atmospheric music. One of the songs on his latest album Turns is called Occurring Waters, where the image of water with its deafening depths and bubbling life fits perfectly with the musical style. Andy Cartwright’s music draws on the past while constantly uncovering new sources of inspiration, plunging listeners into a fountain of youth.