D. West

D. West is an American Primitive guitarist based in Denver, Colorado. 

Inspired by artists such as Robbie Basho, William Ackerman and Hayden Pedigo, West has developed a style that is both intricate and expressive. His playing moves through folk, ambient and experimental sounds, creating music that feels both exploratory and rooted in tradition.

West’s debut album, ‘a permanent sleep... or, the great american nowhere and its consequences’ (2024), was a stark, spacious collection of solo guitar meditations—characterised by swirling fingerpicking patterns and long, multi-section compositions.

His second release, ‘The Blue Spider Records Guitar Sampler’ (2024) showed a more focused side of his work, with shorter, folk-inspired pieces and understated, melancholic instrumentals.

His upcoming album, 'Cathedrals Beneath the Black Mountain' (Hollow Gesture Records, November 2025), marks a bold step forward. Featuring 12-string guitar, ambient textures and subtle synths, the album moves between dissonant intensity and quiet reflection, pushing deeper into instrumental storytelling.

“Instrumental music is such an otherworldly thing to connect with,” West says. “It only communicates by feel. The songs I end up releasing are the ones that hit me the hardest in that way—and if I can shape those feelings into a story across an album, that’s even better.”

West’s music doesn’t demand attention—it rewards it, revealing more with each listen.