STEPHAN THELEN

4.5 stars. On November 2, 2019 Stephan Thelen along with Henry Kaiser, Chris Muir and Andy West met at a studio in Oakland, California recording some tracks and by the time they all went home the World was a very different place with the Covid. So this album has been quite the adventure with it being done during lockdown over the internet. Thelen specifically thanks Jon Durant, Barry Cleveland, Andi Pupato and Markus Reuter in the liner notes but also a special thanks to Tim Motzer, Bill Laswell and Michael Manring who were part of these recordings but not on this main album, however they are on a remixed album they did that is on Bandcamp.

Yes David Torn is here along with Bill Walker, Manuel Pasquinelli and more. These have become my new heroes, in fact I'm finding a lot of this type of music with solo projects from these musicians along with other side projects they are on. And this isn't Math Rock which I'm luke warm on although I have some favourites, this is so much more than that. Some new types of guitars in play with these guys as usual like sliced and filtered cloud guitar from Jon Durant. Of course Barry Cleveland with his bowed guitar, chopped guitar and fuzz orchestration. How about Thelen adding granular synths, choppy organ, e-bow, particles and programming and yes lots of guitars.

Six long tracks at just under 74 minutes this is a ride. I love that in the liner notes they have the lineup for each track which involves 7 to 9 talented musicians. Pretty much two drummers, a bass player and sometimes a keyboardist but always many guitarists including Touch guitars, looping, soundscapes and on and on. Music with intelligence. I just get lost in all these sounds. And how about the title on the opener "Cosmic Krautrock", you know I'm so impressed with many musicians today who have gone outside of their own sub-genres to be fans like us of the many styles of music there is out there.

A very consistent album this is with each track bringing something new to the table. The opener and closer are my top two though and coincidently Torn is on those two tracks only, and I do prefer the first "Fractal Guitar" album to this one but this is a nice companion album to keep together with my SONAR records with David Torn participating. Rounding down here but this is a keeper and a unique piece of music in Stephan Thelen's discography given the way it was recorded during lockdown.

Review originally posted at www.therocktologist.com

This is the third release of a series named Fractal Guitar, where Stephan Thelen, a wonderful and talented musician, delivers an exquisite blend of atmospheres made mainly by his guitars, but amazingly complemented by the diversity of guest musicians who have played with him.

Fractal Guitar 3 was released at the end of 2022, however it's recording started in 2021 where Thelen was working on 4 different projects, which speaks about the prolific mind he has (is). Their previous albums have blown my mind and this time the experience is quite the same. What we find here are 5 songs and a total time of 60 minutes, with an additional track which is the edited version of the first epic track of the album.

Its name is 'Through the Stargate', a 16-minute rollercoaster with endless colors, textures, atmospheres that can be better perceived with good headphones. It is a long epic song which works as a journey through not one, but several universes, since Thelen and the so talented guest musicians add a rich diversity of textures, nuances, sounds. Instrumental music that can o introspective, that will open the gates of your mind and make you think and feel. The music is dark and tense, the endless guitar colors guide you from here to there, but there is a constant spacey atmosphere that might take you into a trip to the self. While the minutes pass, you will receive new sounds that you can take as messages, soundscapes that are like thoughts. The guitar work here is amazing (there are several guitars and guitar players involved, by the way), but the drums and the synth work are also great. There is rock, there is a jazzy feeling, there is avant-garde, space rock and atmospheric music. A winning combination.

'Morning Star' keeps the spacey and cosmic energy. The rhythm is more delicate, soft, relaxing. We can hear soundscapes and some string notes here and there, percussion making rhythms while bass add some interesting notes. The music flows, you can keep your eyes closed and enjoy the ride, and though it is mostly peaceful, relaxing, there are a couple of moments where energy increases due to the crimsonian guitars. The music here and in the album in general has polyrhythms, so our senses can be stimulated by new sounds and emotions almost al the time. It is not lineal, which makes this an even more effective experience.

'Glitch' might be my favorite tune here. It is a progressive rock track, the energy is strong in moments, explosive, the use of different electric guitars add powerful nuances, however, I love how there is a constant cosmic atmosphere during the whole track. Of course, a highlight here are those kraut-kosmiche synths added here, reminding me a bit of Tangerine Dream or Ash Ra. What I like about Thelen's music, about his Fractal Guitar albums, is that one can listen to the whole tracks from beginning to end, I mean, it could be just one long track with no pauses, and we would enjoy it the same way as we do knowing they are separated tracks.

This is a kaleidoscopic experience, and we can confirm that by listening to 'Ascension', a 13-minute piece full of interesting figures such as soundscapes, loops, reverb, layers, fretless notes, arpeggios, etc. I am not sure if there are cello or double-bass here or those sounds were made by keyboards, but their addition is wonderful, giving a dark and strong sound to the already fantastic track. Something worth mentioning here is that we can appreciate something very important in music: freedom. I mean, it sounds clear to me that the musicians are free to compose, to improv, to add what they consider it would fit in, so as a result, the music flows naturally, in spite of its different changes. The percussion work here is amazing once again, by the way.

With 'Black or Maroon' they enter in other zones, experimenting a little by with a kind of mid-eastern sound that then opens gates to the Crimsonian elements and sounds, we can appreciate the soundscapes, the touch guitar and the great bass. The cello-like sound I mentioned in the previous track is back here, providing that repetitive but great mid-eastern flavor. Then as usual, the band add countless elements, creating different changes in mood and tempo, but keeping us quite interested in while we are listening to, because it is quite a journey, and a very interesting one. And yeah, all of a sudden we have listened to the whole album, we have lived the whole experience, and I repeat, I love how it flows.

Of course there is an extra track, which is the edited version of 'Through the Stargate', so it is better if instead of reading more details from me, you go and play this album as soon as possible, I bet you will have a cathartic and spacey and great experience.

Enjoy it!

As one can tell from the title, Thelen is back with the third in his 'Fractal Guitar' series where he provides electric guitar, synthesizer, strings, programming, electric piano, organ, samples, keyboards and Mellotron across five tracks, and is joined by other musicians who play on a few each. At the time of the recording he was working on four different albums, all with different line-ups, and many of those involved are also on here in one way or another while some of the pieces themselves are influenced by tracks on some of the others. His long-time sparring partner Jon Durant, with whom he released 'Crossings' as well as working as 'Fractal Sextet' is on four of these, as is touch guitar maestro Markus Reuter, but it is only touch bassist Stefan Huth who is on all five.

There is a wonderful wall of sound complexity about this album, with repeated loops and melodies, and the different guitars pushing the boundaries of what one would expect from the instrument with touch guitars, fretless, koto, yinyang, tremolo and e-bow just a few of the different effects being employed. When I hear Reuter, I expect him often to be improvising as he has built such a powering reputation in that field, yet here he is in a different place stylistically yet still pushing within the framework provided by Thelen to create something which is compelling. In many ways this is a cross between krautrock and Reuter's solo work, fully controlled by Thelen to create something that takes the music to new levels. I have heard a few of Thelen's recent albums in one form or another, and to my ears this is the most complete since the first in this series, as there is an underlying direction and core which allows the musicians to all add their multiple layers yet keep everything moving in the same direction, so the threads join together as opposed to working against each other. This is a great introduction not only to the work of Thelen but what can be achieved when a group of musicians are unafraid to move from the norm and instead want to achieve music which truly is progressing.

Fractal, what? Some associations came up immediately when getting close to this album for the first time. And true, you won't miss the point sooner or later. Known for his 'fractal' guitar work and programming first and foremost, Stephan Thelen is involved here. But on this occasion not necessarily as the absolute leading protagonist. As there is another congenial compagnion regarding the electric guitar right here on the party, US citizen Jon Durant. Furthermore, currently being very busy with several other projects, ex-Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin offers his share in quite an awesome manner. That's a highly acclaimed trio alone on its own, agreed? But wait, even more internationalism is to be expected. Already having worked in many different musical contexts they have classical trained Fabio Anile from Rome aboard, having all sorts of key instruments in supply.

Furthermore drummer Yogev Gabay, also collaborating with Israelian bands like Distorted Harmony and Anakdota. And then finally percussionist Andi Pupato, who is closing the world embracing circle in Switzerland again. In either way highly disciplined concerning the instrumental execution I'm quite sure this is based on improvisations more or less. The experienced sextet is promising and providing a remarkable synergy. While having a soft spot for psychedelic and space rock infected music it caught me right from the first moment. Significant for this sort of music is its looping and captivating flow. I mean, the opening track Zeptoscope will prove that as no other.

The album showcases an inspired conglomerate of fusion, ambient space, trance and krautrock. Regarding the final verdict, well, maybe it depends on where you are coming from. Being quite familiar with the recent Stephan Thelen albums I'm torn a bit. That special dynamic and groove, the infinite fractal variations, it all sounds a bit single-tracked in the meanwhile. Including Fabio Anile's splendid piano lines and Andi Pupato's extraordinary percussion work, exemplarily to note on Point Of Inflection, this production is standing on its own nonetheless, comes close to a masterpiece by all means.

Fractal Sextet is a project of Stephan Thelen, guitarist, composer and artistic director of the Swiss band SONAR. This album follows that heritage with ample use of polyrhythms, but here he is joined by Burnt Belief musicians Colin Edwin (Bass) and Jon Durant (Fretted, Fretless, and Cloud Guitars), Yogev Gabay (Drums), and Fabio Anile (Piano, Synth), and the ever-present master of polyrhythms Andi Pupato (Percussion). If you enjoyed Stephan's collaboration with guitarist David Torn, or his more recent work on the Fractal Guitar series featuring Marcus Reuter, then you must check out this album. Tracks like Fractal 5.7 will sound all too familiar to fans of Stephan's work, and throughout the album we are treated to sonically soaring guitar passages that bring David Gilmour to mind. But the absolute highlight of the album is the track Planet Nine, a tour de force as far as prog compositions go. The track builds from simple stylings, to a guitar-centric section, followed by a piano-centric section which displays the Philip Glass-like minimalist and mesmerizing play of Fabia Anile, then to a fervently building percussion solo before a slight pause gives way to an enormous crescendo of instrumental, proggy jams to finish. We are even treated to a guitar melody uncannily reminiscent of the horns and violins in the closing passages of King Crimson's Formentera Lady - whether intentional or not. It's one of those tracks that begs to be blasted at a volume of eleven. Four stars.

Stephan Thelen is a guitarist from Switzerland who to my surprise has been releasing solo albums since 1990 right up to 2022, 15 of them! I knew him from the band SONAR who play the same style of music and he was there right from their start with that 2012 debut. I personally have found that my favourite SONAR music is the newer stuff with David Torn participating, he takes them to another level and Torn is on here.

"The five tracks on this album grew out of a mind-boggling amount of activity and crystallized out of myriad soundfiles, recorded across the Western hemisphere during the last 3 years. Thanks to all my friends who helped me pull it off, especially to Markus Reuter(STICK MEN) who shared his exceptional talents and endless creativity with me on every step of the way."

Recorded at various locations across Europe and North America between August 2015 and April 2018. Thelen also mentions "The other desire I had was to work with and to have some serious fun with a few of the many great guitarists I've met over the years to create an album that features some of the more forward-looking possibilities of the most mysterious, compelling and eclectic of all instruments, the electric guitar."

Ten musicians besides Thelen with a different lineup for each of the five tracks. Matt Tate provides the bass with his Touch guitar on the first four tracks while Thelen adds Touch bass to the closer. We have percussionist Andi Pupato on one track while drummers Manuel Pasquinelli(SONAR) and Benno Kaiser share that duty each being on two songs.

The rest are guitarists. Barry Cleveland with his guitar atmospheres and bowhammer, Jon Durant cloud guitar, David Torn electric guitar and live looping, Stephan Thelen fractal guitar, blue sky guitar, touch bass, tritone guitar, granular loops, organ and samples, Bill Walker electric guitar, live looping, Markus Reuter(STICK MEN) Touch guitar, soundscapes and Henry Kaiser electric guitar.

This album sounds absolutely incredible, I don't know what else to say. Over 67 minutes of bliss for yours truly. I had this in my car when I picked up my two kids, both in their late 20's taking them to the family Christmas dinner and both of them went on and on about the music. I mean this sounds different, futuristic even with these unusual guitar sounds. This might be the easiest decision I've ever made when giving 5 stars.

Swiss guitarist Stephan Thelen and his American counterpart Jon Durant conceived and executed the album 'Crossings' during the Covid lockdowns of 2020. Each working in his own home studio, Thelen on Lake Zürich, Durant on the Willamette River. Originally, they had talked about working together to create a track for a sampler, but instead conceived a complete album which was composed entirely of guitars (plus one bass part). Sonically, in many ways the best way to describe the music is to look at the album cover as the mystical feeling created by slow shutter speed combined with air and water is a magical way of looking at this.

Both guitarists have worked in multiple different bands, as well as producing solo works, and are renowned for pushing the boundaries of what can be done with an electric guitar, and the use of repeated loops on this album allows them to do just that. It is strange to think that the two guitarists were working on opposite sides of the Atlantic as one can imagine them together in the studio bouncing ideas off each other. The result is almost hypnotic, delicate, and gentle in many ways, and there are sections where one can easily believe it is Gilmour at his most reflective, as they are not out to impress anyone with intense note density but instead ensure they are providing just the right nuances and shades to take is on a journey. Reflective with a dreamy soundscape, this is music which needs to be listened to on headphones when someone really has the time to do just that, as it is way too easy for this to drift into the background and this deserves far more than that.

Swiss guitarist Stephan Thelen has a strong reputation for releasing uncompromising and interesting music, and the latest Fractal Guitar album demonstrates that clearly. Recorded in lockdown, each of the pieces started with Stephan constructing a delay in a weird time signature, building around that, and then sending it off to another guitarist to see what they made of it and what they could add to it. These guitarists, Markus Reuter, David Torn, Jon Durant, Barry Cleveland and Bill Walker would then record their response, and then it would be sent to the next. This resulted in a series of lengthy pieces which often features all the guitarists working in their own style using different types of guitar and effects, to which were later added keyboards, drums, percussion and bass.

Although the album was constructed in a somewhat insular manner, with everyone separate, that does not sonically sound to be the case as it comes across as all musicians working together and not remotely. It seems strange that drums and bass were the last to be added as they have an incredibly important part to play, providing the cut through which is required so that the listener does not become overwhelmed by the guitars. With touch guitars being utilised, sounds are often being produced which are more reminiscent of keyboards, which in turn often are set to be more like an organ to differentiate the sound.

It is a very thick and layered recording, with little space and all guitars being somewhat on top of each other, creating a somewhat dense approach and it is only the rhythm section which contains the lightness to lift the overall sound. I am a huge fan of some of those involved, especially Markus Reuter, yet I think this may have come across better if there were less guitarists and space was allowed to play a much larger part. Undoubtedly clever, there are times when this feels like the soul has been somewhat squeezed out of it.

Review originally posted at www.therocktologist.com

The name of Stephan Thelen might not be as familiar as he deserves, since his work this millennium as a Sonar member or solo musician has been very prolific. However, with the release of this 'Fractal Guitar' album, he and his collaborators have made us (the listeners) quite happy.

It is common to me that the first time I listen to an album I don't immediately click with it, but this time was not like this. 'Fractal Guitar' is captivating, I embraced its charm since the very first experience, because yeah, Thelen is the mastermind behind it, but he chose a bunch of wonderful first-class musicians to join the road. Most of them are guitar players but each of them has a peculiar style, a personal touch that was added in certain parts of the album.

When we talk about records with no boundaries, we must turn to this one. A progressive rock, jazzy, spacey, experimental, exquisite release that will give you a unique and different experience every time you listen to it. If you don't believe me, just start playing the first track: 'Briefing for a Descent into Hell', a long 18-minute track that has countless passages, atmospheres, notes and sounds. It progresses little by little, surprising us with the creative figures the musicians create. An ambitious project whose result is simply outstanding and, believe me, it is enough to listen to this single track to realize it.

Stephan Thelen himself pointed out that he wanted to write an album in which effects were integral part of the music. With that on mind, he empowered a concept he already had, called fractal guitar, an effect that consists on rhythmic delay with a high feedback level. But to make it real, he also wanted to be joined by people such as Markus Reuter or David Torn, musicians that are creative, educated, experimental and compromised. This is why the album is a carousel of sounds, and a ticket to music paradise. Addictive sounds, repetitive structures fulfilled by loops, improvisation and understanding. Important to say that the role of percussion men along with bass-man Matt Tate is also incredible. It is an exciting journey!

The best of this album is that you will love every single track, a clear example is 'Road Movie', a shorter but amazing song that spits a hypnotizing structure in which you can close your eyes and let the diversity of colors make their work. It is like a spacey trip full of emotions, an expansive sensorial experience where guitars take you to infinite paradises, while drums create the needed shelter.

An exquisite effort comes next with 'Fractal Guitar', which has some Crimson vibes on it, endless loops and a delicious spacey atmosphere. After three minutes it becomes a bit more aggressive, drums put more elements while strings keep experimenting and adding colors here and there. The intensity still increases and those crimsonian vibes become even more evident, it is the climax of the song. Then it slows down again, the peace has returned.

The soundscapes of 'Radiant Day' are beautiful, you'll perceive them better while using good headphones. The bass is predominant in this piece, it is cool to see it being as important as the guitars, which hypothetically are the main elements on the album.

Last but not least, the amazing 17-minute 'Urban Nightscape' is the perfect closer. Ambitious that Thelen and co. opened and finished with their longest songs, in one hand we could think about a circle, an album that perfectly spins round and round, but in other hand, it cannot be a circle, I mean, there are endless drifts, winding roads that we have to sort out with our ears, emotions and soul. Stephan Thelen has made a memorable album that, at least to me, deserves to be on this year's top ten, to say the least.

The SONAR leader and King Crimson-style Math Rock champion is back with yet another solo effort with an all-star array of guest musicians.

1. "Briefing For A Descent Into Hell" (18:35) could have come from Stephan's other project, SONAR, and their 2018 album Vortex, especially as there are three of the five members of that album on this song. Interesting, cool, just not memorable for anything new or distinctive--though there are many moments in which I feel as if I'm more immersed into a piece by CAN or KLAUS SCHULZE. One bull-headed pace and foundation over 18 minutes with lots of interesting displays of creativity over the top as solos. Somehow it works as I find this to be the song I return to most of all when I want to re-test this album. (36/40)

2. "Road Movie" (13:23) another SONAR-like foundation from the rhythm section as Henry Kaiser takes a turn competing with Stephan. Flags a little in the second half. (25.5/30)

3. "Fractal Guitar" (9:20) opening with infinitely echoed and morphed solo electric guitar, the sound journey is fascinating in itself. Yet another SONAR-like foundation is added by the rhythm section at the end of the first minute--in an unusual time signature. The "guitar atmospheres" of Barry Cleveland are quite interesting--perhaps they are the sound "morphing" to which I referred in the opening sentence. Drums and percussion begin to add their own distinct personalities in the fourth minute. (17.5/20)

4. "Radiant Day" (8:42) a more KING CRIMSONian weave of electric stringed instruments opens this song. Markus Reuter, Matt Tate, and Barry Cleveland all weaving their touch guitars with Stephan's is quite interesting. The absence of atmospheric "glue" of washes and slow decay notes and chords is also interesting. It's like a stage full of guitarists each waiting patiently for their turn to solo. (16.75/20)

5. "Urban Nightscape" (17:34) opens with two lines of chromatic arpeggi backed by David Torn loops and washes. Bass line and drums eventually join in but it takes a few minutes until a solid flow and structure are settled upon. Benno Kaiser's drumming is much more noticeable than the hypnotic support style of Manuel Pasquinelli because he is imposing a mentality of a lead instrument. (He's good but not great.) It's David Torn who really shines in the thick and heavy section between the sixth and ninth minutes (though Benno does try). The music gradually moves to a stripped down, atmospheric section where, in the fifteenth and sixteenth minutes you feel as if night skies and bug noises are the sounds trying to be reproduced (or imagined). My least favorite song on the album. (29/35)

Total time 67:34

It is very difficult to fault Stephan Thelen with this type of music because it is so unique and unusual in the music world, but after an album or two, listened to consecutively, one begins to grow fatigued of the repetition of similitude.

B/four stars; a solid contribution of polished, mood-oriented Math Rock and excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.