FRACTAL SEXTET

Piloted by the singular approach of Swiss composer and guitarist Stephan Thelen, best known for minimalist groove band Sonar and his collaboration with Kronos Quartet, Fractal Sextet is an aptly named meeting of musical minds who, at Stephan's invitation, have created an album worthy of deep listening and showcasing a remarkable synergy between all the participants. Despite a highly disciplined and seemingly restrictive rhythmic formatting, and the interdependence of each instrumentalist, the Fractal Sextet material allows each player a remarkable musical freedom and the album displays a highly developed sense of collective, ensemble improvisation. With each musical element having an equal weight, the traditional sense of soloist/accompanist is superceded by an overall sense of communality across the album's five lengthy tracks. Perhaps a comparison could be made with Krautrock legends Can, or "Beat" era King Crimson whose internal discipline, trance like compositions and strong group aesthetic is mirrored in the Fractal Sextet dynamic. Guitarists read more...