Gustavo Santaolalla is a talented multi-instrumentalist from Argentina who has been extremely involved in bringing new sounds to an age-old culture. Playing a variety of stringed instruments including the guitar, the guitarron, the charango, and the ronroco, Santaolalla bridges the gap between traditional musics and forward-thinking compositions. He reveals an unusually progressive vision filled with cascades of chiming sounds and the understated influences of Japan, Africa, and Eastern Europe, as well as Latin America. Accompanied by his associate Anibal Kerpel on vibraphone and melodia, Santaolalla has made an instrumental album of intense passion and evocative songwriting. Gustavo's rapid picking and constant strumming of strings provide a solid foundation for his melodic innovations as clusters of notes rise majestically and then quietly fall away. --Mitch Myers