Sometimes, the seriousness of an artist is defined, if not readily identified, by a look on his or her face. It might be one of intensity, perhaps, or of contemplation, or of rumination. Sometimes it’s defined by the tools he or she uses, which endow him or her with certain types of brushstrokes, sounds, or an evocation of raw emotion. Still other times an artist’s seriousness is evinced in the length of his work, be that page after page or second after second, depending on his particular muse and medium.

All of these statements apply to Alf Jetzer and what could very well be his magnum opus, “Unfolding”. The look of quite determination, of seeing something others can’t, is found in the photo accompanying the artist’s biography. The very instruments he puts in work with—the Armenian Duduk, a Framedrum, and something called an UDU—underscore an atypical approach to the very concept of music itself.

Most of all, it’s quite unclear what “The Unfolding” actually is—be it a single, an EP, or even an album, by today’s standards. The track is over half an hour long, easily placing it in the rarified turf of the world’s record for the longest song ever recorded.

But what one simply can’t mistake is the effort, artistry, and raw creativity on display throughout this lengthy voyage. The cut passes through multiple stages—replete with numerous seconds of silence between them, different rhythms, and respective realities, if you will.

Again, the list of instruments doesn’t help anyone here, as there are wind sounds, string sounds (similar to violins), as well as what is readily defined as an electric guitar. But there’s also different types of guitars—sharp and sharded, the shrieks of a soloist desperately trying to tell you something, and that of no small import, as indicated by the fervor with which Jetzer goes at it.

Each of the foregoing instruments is attributed to him on this piece. His various rhythms float in place, gyrating without necessarily going anywhere. And, most of all, they provide the very fabric for the artist to take his time to fully express himself in a means that is discernible yet, as is the case with some of the best music, bereft of any and all words.