Just to clear the air up a bit: Pollen was originally recorded before Christopher Willits’ recording on 12k, Folding, and the Tea, was issued. So in a sense what we’re hearing with Pollen is Willits’ debut. Right off the bat, the warmth of Pollen seems like it was a natural conclusion to Folding, as many of the ideas emanating on Willits’ subsequent releases find their experimental origins on these nine tracks. Armed with his guitar and his trusty digital “folding” software, Willits explores texture among texture, playing only when necessary and letting his computer program do the rest of the work stretching, bending and slicing digitally recorded fragments of his improvisations. The results are immediately inviting and warm, if not a bit skittery, but impressive for a debut. – Rob Theakston