In LA 3

With In LA 3, Baba Stiltz concludes his trilogy of sun-soaked guitar music inspired by the city of Los Angeles. Drawing from its open spaces, strip malls, and the general uncanniness of the West Coast Metropolis, he offers the listener an auto-fictive auditory experience. Track titles such as “I Don’t Trust These Bags”, “A Suggestion to end Ambient Hegemony” and “My Wife (I Love)” hint at contemporary themes—a city in flux post-2020, and the artist’s own struggles amid changing times. The A-side introduces us to a severely minimal and meditative side of Stiltz’s expression. Seemingly drawing inspiration from Taku Sugimoto’s use of silence and Derek Bailey’s improvisational gusto, he guides us through 40 minutes of music with a gentle yet ghostly hand. Side B shifts perspectives, offering a view of LA rooted in deep, primitive Americana traditions. With John Fahey’s influence ever-present in Stiltz’s guitar work, the trilogy concludes with generous melodic phrasing—echoes of blues, bluegrass, and sweaty East Hollywood rock ’n’ roll hangovers.