Markus Reuter - 2021 - Comet

(64:00; Iapetus [2025 Edition] )






















This was the second of Reuter’s ambient Christmas albums, originally released in December 2021, having been recorded live at home in Berlin only a few weeks earlier, and as with ‘Winter Solstice’ it has now been newly mastered by Erik Emil Eskildsen. I must confess to only knowing one of the six pieces on offer this time, as after including three traditional German melodies in his song choice plus one by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz and another by Johann Sebastian Bach, he ends his selection with a piece inspired by Mike Oldfield’s “The Time Has Come”, which was originally on 1987’s ‘Islands’ and was released as a single.

I believe this album works more cohesively than the earlier one, but I am aware this may be because I am unfamiliar with most of the original material so am treating this solely as new pieces of art. To me this feels less Christmassy, and more Wintery, as he manages to bring cold feelings to bear and there is definitely an impression of a cold wind coming to us through snowy forests. It has the bleakness one often finds in the best early 90’s Scandinavian Black Metal, and if Varg Vikernes played Touch Guitars® AU8 I can imagine him experimenting in this style as well when Burzum are dark ambient. Somehow, we get both simplicity and complexity combined to create something quite special and is an album which is hugely compelling and enthralling. Both this and ‘Winter Solstice’ are available for download through Bandcamp for “name your price” and is a fascinating way to discover more from one of the scene’s great improvisors and touch guitarists. 

Kev Rowland, March 2026

Links:
https://www.markusreuter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/iapetusstore

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