Dominic Frasca
is kind of like a cross between
Andres Segovia
and
Elliott Sharp
. Although classically trained and still deeply influenced by
classical guitar
tradition,
Frasca
doesn't create music that sounds
classical
in any meaningful way, and his instrument (a customized ten-string guitar) is a bizarre Frankenstein's monster of acoustic and electronic parts that he uses simultaneously as a melodic and percussive instrument. This album includes two of his own compositions, one of which is the very long title track.
"Deviations,"
with its clicky ostinatos and angular chord changes, is a fascinating piece that sounds as if it were written during a composition workshop co-led by
Robert Fripp
Paco de Lucia
. Also interesting is a rendition of
Philip Glass
'
"Two Pages,"
a piece that actually sounds a bit more like the work of
Steve Reich
than of
Glass
, though the former would have taken more care to make the musical transitions within the piece more musically compelling. The remaining compositions are briefer pieces written specifically for
by
Marc Mellits
, all of which make the most of
's quirky virtuosity. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson