Phase Two is a seventeen-minute piece for guitar, recorded in one take by Melbourne’s Andrew Tuttle and released on a three-inch compact disc (available at Redeye Records in Sydney or via www.myspace.com/soundandfurymusic). Similar to a seven-inch record, the format encourages a more intimate engagement with the music, as there isn’t a whole lot to commit to. Another factor against casual listening is the progressive nature of the piece – the performance is buoyed by a handful of subtle dynamic shifts, and Andrew Tuttle’s often-reckless fretwork.

Reckless because Tuttle’s fingers frequently trip over the strings when he tackles some of the mid-paced finger picking. It’s by no means a bad thing; it actually brings the piece to life a bit. Superficially, Phase Two is a solo guitar piece laced with a bit of vaguely responsive electronic fuzz - it’s somewhat evocative of an AM radio instrumental being slowly subsumed by foreign frequencies. Listeners might wonder whether to embrace the rich textural electronics of the piece, or to engage with the melodic aspects of Tuttle’s guitar. The traditional and the technology do sound locked in some bloody battle at around the ten minute mark, but the rather saccharine outcome is that the two fronts appear reconciled in the end. It’s a touching, tempestuous and exhausting trip.

by Shaun Prescott