It’s safe to say that William Barton’s didgeridoo playing has well and truly redefined the instrument for the 21st century, with an absolutely astonishing list of works either written for him, or that he’s written himself. So why, given his remarkable successes, does this new release fall somewhat flat?

I suspect, it’s all down to the listening experience. On-stage, watching the performers drawing each droplet of sound from their respective instruments, I can imagine it all landing rather differently. But here, on this CD, it begins to feel same-ey. Listened to at home, yes, these works are long explorations of mood, colour and texture (violinist Véronique Serret’s electric-guitar-like “feedback” noise-bursts must be heard to be believed), but they also feel aimless. The liner notes point out that the music began as a seven-minute commission for the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, before growing to its present 40-or-so minutes, but that 40 minutes feels overlong and overstretched.

There are certainly peaks throughout – the now-classic Didge Fusion showcases Barton’s powerful and expressive vocals and guitar playing, but the harmony also winds up feeling kind of metal-band-ish, but without...