Fractal Sextet by Fractal Sextet

Fractal Sextet, Press release:

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With each musical element having an equal weight, the traditional sense of soloist/accompanist is superceded by an overall sense of communality across the album's five lengthy tracks.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 Jon Durant and Stephan Thelen each maintain a distinct identity whilst meshing together perfectly with their contrasting approaches. Jon Durant makes use of the expressive possibilities of the fretless guitar to dizzying effect, especially on the track Planet Nine, whilst Stephan Thelen alternates between meticulous ostinatos and enmeshed layers of delay, creating mesmerising but ever shifting textural patterns that often provide the starting point for the uncoiling proceedings.

Mostly utilizing a fretless, bassist Colin Edwin interchanges between lyrical melodic passages and lines of ever developing but resolute solidity in the manner of his previous contributions to the likes of Porcupine Tree, Twinscapes and O.R.k.

Throughout the album, keyboard player Fabio Anile's input demonstrates his highly creative approach, both sonically and with parts ranging from understated spacious ambiences to intricately constructed, expansive keyboard lines.

Making the dense polyrhythmic rhythms sound natural and effortless, special praise is due to drummer Yogev Gabay, whose unflinching precision and ingenious approach rationalises some of the more obscure odd time signature workouts into something much more accessible.

Former Ronin (Nik Bärtsch) percussionist And Pupato, adds subtle layers of rhythmic depth, placing his unique sounding but never obtrusive percussion firmly into the mix.

Exploring infinite variations on never ending patterns, Fractal Sextet displays a beguiling and inviting hypnotic landscape, which reveals multiple layers and ever more intricate unfolding connections throughout.

Liner notes by Mark Sullivan (All About Jazz):

Swiss composer/guitarist Stephan Thelen’s two Fractal Guitar albums were largely multi-tracked affairs, involving considerable file sharing.  The idea of organizing a band to perform the music live may have been inevitable. The resulting Fractal Sextet is an international project consisting of guitarist Jon Durant (USA), keyboard player and composer Fabio Anile (Italy), bass player Colin Edwin (UK), drummer Yogev Gabay (Israel), percussionist Andi Pupato (Switzerland), and Thelen on guitar and programming.

The original plan was to get at least the core members into a studio together to record, but pandemic restrictions prevented that from happening. So file sharing again became an integral part of the process. There were still many connections tying the players to each other.  Jon, Fabio and Andi played on the Fractal Guitar albums;  the duo album Crossings was recently released by Durant and Thelen; a forthcoming album of string quartets and piano quintets which Fabio and Thelen composed and recorded last summer cemented their relationship; and of course Jon and Colin have the ongoing project Burnt Belief.  Colin recommended Yogev (an expert on polyrhythms), completing the rhythm section. Despite not being together in the same room the excitement of playing together is palpable from the first note to the last.

A close look at the piece “Mise En Abyme” reveals a lot about the arranging process. The title came from the infinitely recurring sequence effect in visual art (similar to Thelen’s “fractal guitar” effect, a rhythmic delay with a high feedback level that produces cascading delay patterns in odd time signatures). The original version from Thelen’s 2009 album of the same name was done with guitar only, Thelen’s  lines echoing over a strummed rhythmic ostinato and two loops going on simultaneously, one in 3 and one in 7.  Jon Durant and Thelen’s version on 2021”s Crossings was again mainly guitar (with a bit of electric bass) over the same rhythmic ostinato. More layers (including soundscaping) created a richer atmosphere, and Durant’s fretless guitar solo added new energy. 

Fractal Sextet expands the arrangement to a full band treatment. Edwin contributes a melodic bass line to the ostinato, which is further expanded by Fabio’s new keyboard parts (they form a soaring backdrop to Jon’s first solo), and of course the drums and percussion add strength and timbral variety to the sound of the rhythm section. It’s an altogether heavier arrangement, but still maintains some of the delicate filigree of the earlier versions (there’s even a quote from Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” in the opening electric piano theme)--the dramatic dynamic shifts are electrifying. The lovely brief coda after the ostinato drops out is new, and a pleasant surprise. Here as elsewhere, Fabio’s role as keyboardist greatly expands the sound from the “guitars, guitars, guitars” sonics of the Fractal Guitars albums. The fact that he added his parts to the mix after the guitars and bass were recorded makes them even more remarkable.

This track is far from the only interesting music here. “Zeptoscope” opens the set with a compelling ostinato and a soaring guitar solo. “Fractal 5.7” is another track from Crossings which benefits greatly from Colin’s new melodic bass line, which varies continuously without ever losing the groove. Anile’s “Planet 9”( which includes a quote from King Crimson’s “The Sailor’s Tale” in Thelen’s e-bow solo) and Thelen’s “Slow Over Fast” are new compositions. The main theme of “Slow Over Fast” appears in different instruments at different speeds (half time, double time) in different octaves; and the whole piece moves from a fast pulse to a gentle slow conclusion with just guitar, bass and percussion.

The band chose to emphasize new material over old, but the digital bonus track “Point Of Inflection” revisits the closer of Fractal Guitar 2. Arguably Thelen’s Greatest Hit, it was also given three remixes on Fractal Guitar 2 - Remixes. This version comes charging in fully loaded with overdriven harmonized guitars, almost a Heavy Metal treatment. No doubt it would be a treat to hear played live. Ironically, although conceived as a live band it seems unlikely the sextet will be heard live anytime soon. Blame visa problems, Brexit, and a host of other logistical issues. The musicians would love to do it, so one can only hope. But in the meantime we have this splendid document to enjoy.

Mark Sullivan, All About Jazz, April 2022

Stephan Thelen is a composer, producer and mathematician based in Zürich, Switzerland. His activities are split into three main areas: 1) as composer, artistic director and guitarist of the Swiss minimal groove band SONAR, 2) as producer and guitarist for his Fractal Guitar and Fractal Sextet projects and 3) as composer of postminimal music ("Circular Lines", commisioned by the KRONOS QUARTET).

stephanthelen.com