REVIEWS
Flesh Mother (Redux)
"A phantasmagoria of noise... It sounds like what I would imagine to be a dreaming but restless malevolent dragon."—Steve Mecca, Chain D.L.K
"Disturbingly dark soundscapes... Every time I listen to this I discover something new hidden in its depths, and this album is highly recommended to those looking for something a little different. Fantastic!"—Rich Dodgin, This is Darkness, on Flesh Mother (Redux)
#16 on Favorite music releases of 2025—Nelson Rosa Junior (Nerjal)
Surveillance Film
"Nexus" voted Best Tracks 2025 by The Abstract Observer
"From the near supernatural to distorted, the kinetic and library music-esque. It can give a near paranoia feeling, or at times something close to terrifying and ominous. And then again, there’s a sense of mystery, of myth and the ghostly amongst the loosened wires, detuned and both toy-like and spooked piano workings... A highly atmospheric score that stands alone and yet doesn’t prove overbearing or distract from the film it accompanies. Well worth the cinema ticket."—Monolith Cocktail
"Unsettling in the most effective way...an aural landscape where beauty and despair coexist, perfectly capturing the existential ambiguity of a world on edge."—The Abstract Observer
"A complete array of veracity and mood... a well seasoned addition to the heart of it's visual companion."—Lost in a Sea of Sound
Guitarworks: First Folio
"[5/5 stars.] Will appeal to progressive music mavens as well as fans of New Age and all persuasions of acoustic guitar music including folk and classical."—Roots Music Report
"Nice and chill, and just put me in an absolutely amazing mood."—Ceremonial Laptop, Totally Radio
Passages XXII–XXXII (for Solo Piano)
"Between avant-garde and neo-classical...always searching for sounds and motifs that can be found outside the beaten tracks, sometimes pushing the piano off a cliff as it were, and capture its final notes before it gives out completely. He can be gentle as well, serving up incidental music a la Zbigniew Preisner or Erik Satie ("Passage XXIX"). As a guitarist Gallagher's love for post-rock and jazz can be found in the rougher vignettes ("Passage XXIII")."—Hans Werksman, Here Comes the Flood
"Tingling and tapping, Gallagher elicits strange sounds, changing from simple rhythms to contemplative feelings, from melancholic, ostinato plonking to tinny clangs, unafraid of dissonance, Ross Bolleter sounds, ghostly glitches, or whirring interference. But with two handed catchy melodies, these homemade DIY sounds consciously play with the charm of the imperfect, the all too human."—Bad Alchemy
"A nice collection of lovely piano pieces."—Charlie Miles, Liquid Library: Spooling Towards Freedom (CAMP Radio)
Hammitt
"Cullen Gallagher is a tremendous and unique scoring talent. He works like a master prose writer that surpasses narrative for that deeper cut."—Mitch LeMay, KFJC 89.7FM
"[A] lo-fi sound that reminds us of The Velvet Underground... 'The Raven' features beautiful piano playing that makes it feel as if the listener is standing in the living room and the ambient sounds play a cinematic role... Closing track 'The Age of Cinema' shows mysterious and vast landscapes with Ry Cooder's fantastic soundtrack Paris, Texas never far away."–Bert Geurts, Luminous Dash
"A diverse and intimate listening experience [and] a testament to Gallagher’s ability to create evocative soundscapes"—Arcane Candy
"I like the sound of this. It’s very lo-fi and mostly made up of guitars, and it feels contemplative and melancholy."—Helmynth, KFJC 88.7 FM (Los Altos Hills, CA)
Aphonia
"A burst of energy fueled by blues, folk and rock 'n' roll, beams the moonlight of Western music to a wider horizon and a wider highway unhindered by obstacles."—Recent Music Heroes
"Very pleasant album where the sounds make synergy, create landscapes of yesteryear."—A3XN
"The tracks share a rocking vibe that references classic films and their composers. 'Nosferatu Boogie' is a highlight, but the best turn of phrase is 'Fig Newton of the Imagination.'"—A Closer Listen
Anemic Music
"With gorgeous dark ambient and drone undertones... this is an album that will definitely appeal to those listeners looking for something a little different from the usual dark ambient fare. This is dark and edgy stuff, with eerie soundscape elements that compliment the guitars perfectly. Fantastic stuff!"—This Is Darkness
"Anemic Music reverberates, resonates and shakes to a range of psychedelic, post-rock, krautrock, scuzz and fuzz influences across a myriad of soundtrack-like instrumentals."—Monolith Cocktail
"Warped Americana vibes and shaded folk mastery."—Jacob Braybrooke, One Track at a Time
The Cabinet of Modern Silent Cinema
"Beautiful sounds, both raw and polished... Omnifarious sounds spraying from the fluidity of a long waterfall. The groove is raw, holding a warmth many listeners will most ebulliently absorb. The quality of recording harks back to early delta blues 78's with connective sonic gems sown throughout. Sometimes there is a feeling this is a lost Fahey or Basho recording, low-fi and a wanderer of tempos and styles. At other times there is the definitive resonance of a much more modern era. Rhythms built with multiple tracks as selections form with sonic sophistication and elegance. Then, back on the train to Chicago to get paid for another two sides of American roots. "—Lost in a Sea of Sound
"Weird and fascinating combination of dub sensibilities, whispering folky guitar, and ambient background noise."—Rosy Overdrive
"From quiet, forlorn electric guitar and bass duets to solo heavy electric guitar riffs. From bluesy workouts to distorted yet melodic songs that strongly recall the likes of Roy Montgomery."—Arcane Candy
The Cinema Detective
"Unapologetically anti-virtuosic and sparse... Simultaneously thoughtful, weird and creative... Has a minimalist appeal as the recordings of John Fahey on the Takoma label in the 1970s."—Alan Frank, Minor 7th
"For his 27th Modern Silent Cinema release in 20 years, the Brooklyn multi-instrumentalist and composer artfully unspools lo-fi, deliberately paced instrumental rock."—The Tinnitist
"Mostly comprised of gentle, melodic acoustic guitar lines that sometimes lapse into a contemplative minor key. A few tracks feature solo synth workouts that proceed from repetitive stately melodies on into sparse notes and dissonant clouds. The final track offers up a surprise in the form of a full band sound complete with drums and multiple guitars, ending with a searing electric lead."—Arcane Candy
Passages X–XXI (for Solo Piano)
"The perfect lo-fi rainy day disc."–Arcane Candy
"All about the homespun warmth—the crackles you hear throughout these short compositions, courtesy of the lounge room fireplace."—Simon Kirk, Sun 13
Passages I–IX (for Solo Piano)
"A superb mixture of the ambient and the noir. Contemplative, melancholy, the album's perfect writing music."—Joseph Goodrich, author (The Paris Manuscript and Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947–1950)
INTERVIEWS
December 2, 2025 - The Abstract Observer
August 21, 2024 - Vents Magazine
May 25, 2024 - Asphyxium Zine
April 11, 2024 - Low Budget Visions with Matt Barry [video]
January 18, 2011 - Approaching Oblivion [Archived text]