Into The Light レコード& CD

Review: The latest instalment in Into The Light Records' ongoing "International Series" comes from Max Santilli, an Australian multi-instrumentalist previously best known for working alongside Jacob Fugar in Angophora. "Surface" is Santilli's debut solo album and has been compiled from an archive of home studio recordings made between 2016 and 2018. Predictably, it's rather good, with Santilli wrapping drowsy, slowly shifting musical flourishes (guitars, synths etc) around gentle, sun-kissed rhythms and suitably spacey chords. Throughout, the Sydney-based musician offers subtle nods towards his various inspirations (the ambient-jazz fusion of Michael Bierylo, Steve Hillage's timeless early ambient works and the intricate acoustic guitar playing of Steve Tibbetts and Miguel Herrero) while forging his own distinctly lo-fi and otherworldly path.