photos by Eric Walsh
Chicago, Illinois-based progressive Warr guitarist JASON BLAKE is preparing to release his latest solo album, The Compromise Rationale – the second installment in the Ternary Instinct themed trilogy of albums – through Wayfarer Records next week. Today, The Progspace is hosting an exclusive premiere of the album’s first video, created for the song “A Certain Balance.”
The Warr Guitar is a twelve-string instrument incorporating the range of a guitar and bass, which is performed by tapping the strings; a technique known as touchstyle guitar. JASON BLAKE plays with the progressive metal instrumental trio, Aziola Cry, who recently released their album, The Ironic Divide, on Sensory Records in early 2021. With this band, he writes music featuring the rhythmic and melodic capabilities of the Warr Guitar in a band setting.
For his solo work, JASON BLAKE pushes the boundaries of the instrument while incorporating elements of progressive rock, ambient, and classical. Signed to the Wayfarer Records label, BLAKE released the first album of a planned progressive ambient trilogy in June of 2021. Beginning the Ternary Instinct trilogy, the album Fictional Mirrors is a musical study of the superego in Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. Separate from the trilogy, JASON BLAKE followed Fictional Mirrors with Imaginary Cages, a six-song progressive rock suite of solo Warr guitar.
Now, JASON BLAKE returns with part two of his Ternary Instinct trilogy. Whereas Fictional Mirrors represented the superego in psychoanalytical theory, second installment The Compromise Rationale tackles the ego. The album takes on a much more heavy and dark tone as compared to its predecessor.
The Compromise Rationale deploys seven expansive new songs totaling more than forty-two minutes of engaging, unpredictable, instrumental exploration of an incredibly diverse sounding instrument delivered with impeccable precision. Recorded by JASON BLAKE, The Compromise Rationale was mixed by Amery Schmeisser, mastered by Bob Katz, and completed with cover artwork by Michal Karcz.
The video for “A Certain Balance” was animated by Alex Smith (Oblivion Dawn). BLAKE reveals, “I chose ‘A Certain Balance’ as the opening track and video because it had elements of everything on this album. From the odd time signature main Warr guitar line to the ambient sound textures to the heavy metal parts, this song exemplified the sound that I was going after for this album. Thematically, this entire album was intended to have a split vibe to it where the first half would share sonic similarities to the next album in the trilogy, whereas the back half would resemble part one, Fictional Mirrors. This album, representing the ego, tries to find balance between the superego (Fictional Mirrors) and id (part three of trilogy). The video, created by frequent collaborator, Alex Smith, captures a visual representation of this balance. Each field represents a part of the mind while the realistic character navigates between them.”
Watch JASON BLAKE’s “A Certain Balance” video first courtesy of The Progspace now at THIS LOCATION.
The Compromise Rationale will see release on CD and digital platforms through Wayfarer Records next Friday, September 23rd. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION where “Euphoria With Repercussions” is streaming.
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