Hymni

“Irish bassist & composer Simon Jermyn has put together an auspicious solo effort for basses & guitars, adding layers of each and turning them into a unique blend. Lama opens with what sounds like a few lines of bowed electric strings, the sound is immensely haunting and rather hypnotic as the strings are slightly bent and creak a bit. This slides directly into the title track, Hymni which sounds as if Simon is using a small propeller on his strings to great effect while fingering the strings to change the floating melody. Simon adds a quaint, delicate melody to the second half of this piece while rubbing the other strings to add a bit of mystery. Each piece glides perfectly into the next one so that it feels as if this is a suite and we are on thoughtful journey to different planets. On There Were Nine of Them I Think, Simon does a great job of playing lovely Jaco-like fretless chords along with ringing notes and eerie bowed bent string weirdness. What a great combination of sounds! Each piece on this disc features Simon manipulating the bass or basses (and occasional guitar) in some way that feels most natural and adds a calm sense of mysteriousness with fragments of floating melodies. By far, this is the best solo electric bass effort I’ve heard since Hugh Hopper’s classic solo album ‘1984‘ from 1973.”

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery