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Limitation Is Necessary is the third set of music by Massachusetts-based string genius lloyd Thayer we’ve had the honor of releasing. This follows the Duets LP (with percussionist Jerome Duepree) on which lloyd split his playing between a Weissenborn lap guitar and a 22 string Chaturangui, and the Twenty20 CD which was all done on a double-necked Weissenborn. Both of these album deep and monumental explorations of mesmeric string textures filled with elements that ranged from Indian Classical to Blues to Psychedelic with hypnotic grace. The blend of elements so extraordinary and seamless, his slidework is almost incomparable.

When I asked him about the germination and evolution of the new album, he wrote eloquently about its creation.

“The first piece I wrote for the album was the title track…which came out of improvising, day after day after month. I could feel the music pulling towards the last recording Twenty20, but I didn’t want to do another 38 minute piece, hence “‘Limitation is Necessary.’

“Once upon a time, long ago, when I did my first instrumental Dobro recording, I sent a copy to my teacher, the late Stacy Phillips. He gave me some very positive feedback, and then said ‘can you play all of this stuff live?” My answer was yes, and for whatever reason that became a foundational part of what I do, recording pieces that I can duplicate live. Of course, some of that happens with effects pedals.

“One of the influences for me is Indian Dhrupad music, specifically the Rudra Veena, which

some call the great grandfather of all stringed instruments. Dhrupad itself is an older and slower river than some of the music westerners are used to hearing, which is faster and flashier (Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Zakir Hussain), and of course all of these forms use some type of a DRONE. For a while now, I have been working on the question: what would be the western drone? Leaf blower, highway traffic noise, Walmart parking lot? etc. Most of the pieces on Limitation have a drone in the background, which comes from a sustain pedal or looping pedal. Sometimes it runs throughout the whole piece and sometimes it comes and goes.

“The two 12 string pieces (‘Rumination’ and ‘Celebration’) were influenced by Ralph Towner, who has sometimes used an ‘odd’ tuning for his 12 string, in which some of the string pairs/courses are tuned to different notes (unlike a ‘normal’ 12 string where they are tuned to the same note). I spent a lot of time working on this, trying to develop a very specific light touch, so that I could pick individual strings on the 12 string.

“The doubleneck Weissenborn is used on ‘Deviation.’ This track moves between three different Turkish Makamlar — each with a different sort of feeling or mood — which go back and forth between the two necks. The theory behind this is a little too ‘thick’ or turgid for human consumption.

“So there are three instruments used: 12 string (two songs); doubleneck (one song), standard Weissenborg (two songs).

“Thats it!”

Limitation is, indeed, “it.” I have difficulty imagining anyone who digs contemporary acoustic string music not falling hard for this album’s breadth and quality. It’s an amazing musical trip. And we are a proud as could be to help get it into your ears.

-Byron Coley, 2024

lloyd Thayer

Releases

Limitation Is Necessary

Twenty20