Monstruos y Duendes Vol 1: Myfyrio

So many non-Spanish guitarists have fallen under the spell of flamenco that it might almost be considered a sub-genre of its own. Myrddin is the son of Belgian multi-instrumentalist Koen De Cauter and, bitten by the bug in his teens, went to study with flamenco guitar greats, including Manolo Sanlúcar. The pupil clearly learned well – Myrddin's playing is impressively fast and precise on this sumptuously recorded album of solo guitar. However, he is not playing flamenco, in the sense that he doesn't conform to the recognised palos (alegrías, soléas, etc). Instead, he plays in a personal style of his own.

On this, the first volume in a promised series of four albums, the music is intense, mostly subdued and very introspective. There is a sense of spontaneous composition in tracks that meander and digress, which can work well, such as on the charming ‘Omerine’. Elsewhere it sounds as though he has lost his way and tries to get back by means of guitar technique alone. This could be a fascinating series, especially if Myrddin can raise his head from too much introspection.