Mark McGuire has been a member of triadic mega-unit Emeralds since their inception. Besides contributing to their ever growing catalogue, he's also worked with Daniel "Oneohtrix Point Never" Lopatin as Skyramp and a prolific number of other solo projects. His most recent album for Weird Forest (originally released on Cassette by the Wagon label) has been hailed as his most definitive to date, crossing astral lines and psychedelic boundaries between noise squalls, lush-out synth washes and pastoral guitar passages with an all-encompassing vision beyond his years. The pristine mastering job from James Plotkin certainly enhances his vision, but this is still a comfortingly raw and free-roaming affair, dissolving tranced-out Kosmische patterns with an effortless organic ease. The album is broken between four long tracks. An opening collage of TV samples and blustery synth noise naturally morphs into Göttsching-esque guitar spirals, while the second blends fractal digital outbursts with tropical woodblock percussion while meshing layers of humid guitar and synth harmonics reminding of Popol Vuh. Making nods to the endless vistas of Klaus Schulze and the phasing techniques of Steve Reich, the breathtaking third section builds a graceful rise to sublime stratospheres unknown, leaving the final part of the journey for detached, reserved and peaceful meditation. 'Tidings/Amethyst' is as essential as anything in the Emeralds catalogue and should be experienced without delay by any of their followers. Highly Recommended. (BOOMKAT)