Along with his first outing, Disruption Theory, Normalized displays the depths of LaFosse's genius and explains once more why he's grown a reputation within the guitar community as a fresh voice that deserves wider acclaim.

If you've not yet hard Normalized or Disruption Theory you owe it to yourself to do so today. Artists with LaFosse's impact are rare, unique, and deserve to be heard.

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LaFosse's best idea may have been the way he structures his songs, remaining experimental even within the framework of a conventional dance track. Every aspect of the disc was created by manipulating the sound of an electric guitar with an Echoplex looper, including the cuts that form the rhythms and the high-end squiggles that rise above. Perhaps most remarkable of all is LaFosse's preference for recording his compositions live -- all but four of the eighteen tracks on Normalized were recorded "live" from the same five guitar loops. The cynic in me believes this is the kind of thing that anyone with a good ear, a decent audio editing program and a lot of patience could have pulled off, but the pragmatist in me says, "This is the guy who did it first." (Well, maybe not first -- I'm sure there's a four-tracker in a bedroom in Peoria who will correct me on that -- but certainly well.)

LaFosse's second solo record, Normalized is essential listening for any guitar player, if not simply to see the incredible untapped sonic capabilities of an instrument that was previously thought by some to have been played every way possible. True, LaFosse does have the help of the Echoplex Digital Pro and LoopIV software, but this can fairly readily be compared to the modern guitarist's use of effects pedals and various other sound manipulating gadgets.

The difference with LaFosse is the concept that he calls "Turntablist Guitar," which is best described in his own words. "I can drop tiny fragments of guitar into the loop, I can play the loop backwards, slow the loop down, chop the loops up... and I can do this all live, as I'm playing. It's like my guitar is the record, and the Echoplex is the turntable and mixer. Just like a turntablist uses their technique to get sounds that are far beyond what's on the original record, I can come up with noises and rhythms that would be impossible to play on just an unlooped guitar."

Truly a pioneer of the Echoplex as an instrument, his confidence in his mastery is proven by the fact that 14 of the 18 tracks on the album are live Echoplex solos. While most artists relish the fact that "studio" albums or commercial releases can be polished and mixed until they are just right, LaFosse decided to show his guitar and Echoplex capabilities in their rawest form.

The result is somewhere between Aphex Twin, Art of Noise, Squarepusher, and some kid making beats on his computer late night in Mom's basement, except it's all guitar -- manipulated guitar, yes, but guitar nonetheless. That's the part you have to keep reminding yourself of while listening to Normalized, that and the fact that your CD isn't skipping, even though sometimes you would bet the farm that it is. Although the album is surely not for everyone, it definitely is for anyone who enjoys experimental music, or who enjoys hearing a musician brave enough to laugh in the face of convention and create a truly original musical voice. We're talking over an hour of a full-on collision of rock, drum & bass, hip hop, pop, jazz and who knows what else, all told through the electric guitar via Echoplex.

Andre LaFosse refers to his musical style as "Turntable Guitar," so when I heard that, I automatically thought of the ex-Rage Against the Machine and current Audioslave guitarist who it seems can make any kind of sound with a six-string.

But while Morello blends rock and hip-hop, LaFosse -- as evidenced on his second disc, Normalized -- wields his ax like a DJ manning the wheels of steel at your neighborhood techno club, which, I have to say, isn't always a good thing here.

LaFosse's style is to take a guitar, his own ability and a digital looper to create these sounds. And while technically amazing -- getting behind the fact that someone is doing so much of this with a guitar is something else -- I feel that there are some holes in the disc music-wise, a lot of which can be traced to the love affair he has with electronic looping.

Remember waaay back in the day when the needle on your old Fisher Price record player would get stuck on your Sesame Street album, and "C Is for Cookie" would keep repeating? That wasn't a fun experience. Or now, when a CD gets stuck. That sucks, right? I can handle it in small doses, but too much of it gets pretty irritating.

Some tracks do have more of an organic feel, though, which I consider the stronger songs. "Deject" has bluesy riffs layered over the glitch-work. The title track, "Normalized," sounds pretty... normal, with stellar guitar work shining through.

I do give credit to LaFosse for being a true artist; his ability to arrange using unconventional means can be likened to that of musical revolutionaries like Frank Zappa or Miles Davis.

And I'll admit: I would check LaFosse out live to see how he makes this all come together. Hopefully, I'd be able to make it through the show.

And I'll admit: I would check LaFosse out live to see how he makes this all come together. Hopefully, I'd be able to make it through the show.

The percussion tracks laid down by LaFosse to serve as a backdrop to his guitar antics seem to be influenced by house or jungle music - you could almost envision some of these complex and catchy rhythms being blasted out of a D.J.'s sound system at a sweaty downtown dance club. However, the electronica ends there as every other sound on the CD (with the exception of a Mellotron sample on the title cut) emanates from LaFosse's electric guitar. LaFosse really does show off a dazzling array of different sounds out of the guitar, ranging from down and dirty distorted grooves to smooth jazzy riffs to more airy and ambient background sounds. Andre switches between standard guitar sounds and more synthesized effects effortlessly, and truly shows a mastery of his instrument.

While technically this is a very good guitar album, it does begin to lose its appeal after about 30 minutes of listening. There just isn't enough variety to keep things interesting for very long, and the warp speed electronic percussion grated on my nerves after a short period of time. Also, LaFosse seems to choose guitar sounds at random, and while the wide array of textures is impressive, it's not always appropriate for the songs. The title track "Disruption Theory" is a good example of this, with LaFosse seemingly simply trying every bank available to him on his effects box without much regard for the composition itself.

That's not to say that Disruption Theory is a poor album - there is a lot of interesting guitar work here, and the percussion elements are interesting at least for a few songs. However, Disruption Theory seems to suffer from its lack of distinctiveness - all the songs really begin to meld into one another, and are deficient in their uniqueness. Great guitar work does not automatically equal a great album, and Disruption Theory is a case in point. Hopefully in the future, the very talented LaFosse will team up with some other humans to create some more eclectic and engaging music, but he falls a bit short of the mark with Disruption Theory.