MOSAIK

Excellent and promising debut!

It is not correct to think that the new bands don't have anything fresh to add to the musical realm, for those who believe that nowadays there are no new ideas, that nowadays music sounds the same and there is no progression, I invite you to check out this debut album from German band Frames. They started this project in 2007, released a demo EP last year, and now this 2010 they are releasing their first full- length album entitled "Mosaik". I have the luck of listening to this album before it is released, thanks to Jon Freeman. And now after some few listens, I am more than happy with this album.

The album features twelve songs and a total time of almost an hour, 60 minutes where these four musicians gathered their ideas, skills and emotions in order to transmit them in a purely instrumental album that blends post-rock with heavy prog, you know I am terrible at labeling, so don't judge their sound by my words.

The album opens with "Intro", as you can imagine, just a short introduction to the band's sound, delicate keyboard notes and a gentle atmosphere that will lead you to "The Beginning", so here you can say the journey starts. Soft bass notes at first and then charming guitars along with the drums, a minute later piano adds its special flavor and the song turns emotional thanks to the guitar sound. Later there is a short stop that will introduce a beautiful violin sound, though this sound lasts only for some seconds because later the guitars appear making a heavier sound and producing a stronger feeling.

"Agenda" brings power to the sound, since the first seconds you will notice that heavier guitar sound that will make you move your head, but as background it is noticeable a piano sound that contrast with that heavy sound, adding its proportion of beauty. Later the song changes and slows down a little bit, just in order to construct a new structure that will progress little by little until it reaches its climax; at the end, the song remains as it began, with that power.

After this heavier track, we are now with "Transition" which happens to be the shortest theme, less than a minute of melancholy and beauty created by keyboards. This transition led us to "Isp", which is a softer song where the guitars take the leadership, the post-rock feeling here is evident, as evident as the band have previously listened to bands like Isis or Explosions in the Sky, however, they took some elements from the bands that inspired them in order to create music that has the sound of Frames.

"Insomnia" is a beautiful composition from beginning to end. There is a thing I don't really know, because there are sounds of strings like violin or cello, but I am not sure if they were created by keyboards, or if they were actually those string instruments played by some band member or guest, however, the sound created by them is extraordinary. A couple of minutes later there is a change, a soft piano sound that is accompanied by gentle guitars and fresh drums, the bass lines are also very well placed. During the seven minutes of this song you will find yourself caught in a realm where several emotions, colors and textures surround you. If you have good headphones, then use them because there are sounds that should be noticed. Excellent song!

"Driving Head" starts with bass lines that create an ambient of tension, the sound produced by keyboards also produce the same feeling, it is like if you were walking nervous through the street and you are looking everywhere because you feel something is going to happen, and it happens, a minute later the song turns heavier, now you have been found so you have to run until you find a place to be safe. Ok, now rest; take a deep breath while nice guitars are sounding because you have to be prepared for the next run. There is a great passage where the keyboards produce a kind of symphonic sound that works as a background. Later there is a short moment of tranquility where the piano appears, you think you are safe now and want, but later that tension reappears and creates even a dramatic atmosphere. Great song!

"Intermission" as the name suggests is another short track that works as the prelude to a longer one. This is a work for the keyboard player, piano sound and some ambient effects, nice one. "Horizon" starts with that gentle and warm sound that the previous track left. The song is slow and friendly, there is a nice piano song all over the track, and the guitar work is very reminiscent to EitS, even the atmosphere in some moments. I like where the violin sound appears because it adds a different flavor and produces diverse images. The last minutes of this song are very emotional.

"Audacity" shows actually what the title suggests. This song starts heavier, with those guitars that provoke something in the listener, but later the song turns softer and calm, the heavy guitars disappear and the post-rock like ones appear creating that nice atmosphere. Later the guitars change again and make a kind of rockish sound, but just for some seconds because the heavy post rock sound returns. Another nice thing on this song, is the sound of the keyboards, they may sound far but if you pay attention you will feel them above the other instruments, despite not being intended, I believe.

And finally "M", a track that follows the same path, the same line as the previous ones, though it does not mean that have the same sound. It is important to mention that if there is something that I could appreciate here, is that the band is very constant, I mean there are actually no bad songs here, or boring passages, no, the music is always constant, producing and provoking several things, which is the value of the music. This is the longest song, fifteen minutes that actually can be divided in two parts, because after minute eight the song "finishes" and there are a couple of minutes of silence. Then the music starts again, I believe it is a hidden track actually, but I don't know.

Great debut, I am happy with this album and keep my hopes for the future of Frames, I am sure they will create amazing albums in the future. My final grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

A Promising Beginning

Mosaik is one of those debuts that can be called enjoyable, promising, and disappointing all at the same time. After the first few songs you really think you're in for a masterpiece, but by the end of the album, Frames' "formula" gets pretty repetitive. It's really a shame that Mosaik is so formulaic, because there are some really fantastic songs here! Seeing the potential that Frames possesses in the first half of the album, it's obvious that this band has a promising future. However, as it currently stands, it seems that we have an average album with a few standout tracks... all of which happen to be at the beginning.

This German 4-piece outfit plays an eclectic style of post rock. Most of the album can comfortably be described as post rock, but there are a few metal-oriented moments on Mosaik, as well as prog influences. Despite this eclecticism, this sound is used on basically all of the songs on this almost one-hour affair. By the end of the album their unique sound has worn out its welcome, and becomes a bit of a drag. Compositionally speaking, the best songs (The Beginning, Agenda, ISP, and Insomnia) are all towards the front-end of this release. Not to say the other songs aren't good, but they have nothing that really stands out. It also doesn't help that almost all of the songs have the same arrangements and repetitive compositional structures.

The musicianship is pretty good. All four musicians definitely know what they're doing on this album. The production is actually probably the best part about Mosaik. It's moody, clear, and professional. I have only good things to say about how this release is produced.

Conclusion:

Mosaik is a solid debut by Frames, but I can't help feeling a bit disappointed by the end product. Had the entire album been as strong as the first half, I definitely would've been more impressed. As it stands, this is worth a purchase if you're into post rock, even if it's mostly for the first few tracks. 3 stars are warranted here.

(Originally Posted on SeaofTranquility.org)

An instrumental album that kept my attention till the last few songs when it became very predictable. I guess there is nothing wrong with that as a background to study or other pass times, but I was hoping the band would connect with a more creative progressive style.

The guitars are a standout, very clear and at times aggressive distortion enhance the sound. The keyboards are well played throughout and the production is clear and crisp. Each track has a mood that ranges from joyous exuberance to melancholy sombre textures. As an instrumental album it works as something to put on in the background, but as a headphone experience for me it had no wow factor, and in fact there are no real standout tracks rather it blends together quite seamlessly.

The first 6 tracks simply cruised along and I looked at the track listing and was surprised to see I was into track 6 when it felt like one long track. I do not consider this to be a bad thing but the band, I believe, could do so much better by branching out into some more adventurous territory or to experiment with musical forms. Having said this the album is still a pleasant experience and I hope to hear more from this German Neo-prog unit.