East of the Night

East Of The Night is a melodic pinnacle of Stephan Micus’s discography. It is also his most minimal, featuring only the shakuhachi and his custom 10- and 14-string guitars. Over the course of two long-form pieces, each taking one side of the vinyl on which it was originally released in 1985, it breathes with distinctly crepuscular lungs. “For Nobuko,” a solo for the 14-string instrument, bears dedication to his wife. Its invitational qualities come across as a sign of trust from musician to listener, ever searching for music to fill the distance between them.