Published by Davide Pappalardo on July 16, 2018
Hailing from Prague, Czechia, Fractions is the new project by Nikita Korobeynik (N69, HIGHER) and Artem Frolov which mixes EBM, acid techno, new beat, breakbeat, ambient music and synthwave. The result is a sometime fast and powerful, sometime eerie and evocative sound based on razor sharp arpeggiations, film-score pads and hypnotizing rhythmic patterns. All of this is perfectly showcased in their debut EP Control, released by German label FLEISCH both in digital and vinyl format. 6 tracks exploring and experimenting with the boundaries between genres, developing a dance-floor friendly sound close to modern techno and the recent EBM revival.
I.B.M could be a perfect manifesto for their sound and intentions, being a monolithic march made of industrial rhythms, sharp sounds and throbbing bass-lines. The track soon explodes with its snare-sounds and evocative refrains with eerie and melodic qualities. MCDVIII plays with techno-industrial pounding beats and riffing lines, keeping a steady rhythmic template. Obsessive pads and 90’s loops keep the tension on high levels, and the piece develops fast club traits and moody synths. The final part of the song reaches moving old-school melodies. Welcome to 303 city lives up to its name and deploys acid TB-303 squelch effects together with ware-sirens and frantic acid house movements. An uptempo track reminding us at the same time of old-school club music and punishing electro-industrial territories thanks to distorted effects and riffing sounds.
The title track gives us a harder take on new beat structures, full of vibrant arpeggiations and shrilling snares, an enthralling number with obsessive loops and eerie pauses once again reminding us of the old days of acid techno/house. The vocal mantra works as a compulsive and imposing command, guiding us toward the energetic climax which dominates the last part of the song. Celestial is a different affair characterized by synthwave sounds with syncopated structures and broken beats, a more experimental approach is here developed while keeping the evocative qualities of Fractions music. Ethereal ambient suites and rhythmic snare-sounds build suave sound-oasis, and then mysterious synth-lines develops horror-like atmospheres. The last episode Inhale/Exhale is a sonic laboratory for arpeggiations and percussions, gaining intensity thanks to a crescendo exploding in eerie soundscapes and swirling structures.
A grandiose debut by a welcome new act which displays a personal take on modern EBM influenced electronic music. Fractions mixes effortlessly different genres and vibes, never reaching the brooding and grim dystopian atmospheres of other techno-industrial players, but at the same time keeping a gloomy underline upon which fast movements and acid rides are developed. Another fine example of the series of musicians coming from all over the world and writing a new page in the history of experimental electronic dance music by mixing different ethos and sound coming from the never forgotten past.
Label: FLEISCH
Rating: 8,5