As previously discussed, my preferences in music tend to lead towards the rock genre. So why on earth is it that I’m finding myself reviewing another electronic album?
Well you see, dear reader, that’s kind of the point of all of this. To step out of my comfort zone, to try new and exciting things in terms of music. Unfortunately, this does mean that there will be times that I have no idea what I’m talking about and I’m going to come across as woefully ignorant. This may very well be one of those times.
Fractal’s 2015 album Gaia was apparently described by its record label as dubstep, but also as “electronic,” which is as vague as calling In the Court of the Crimson King “rock.” But sure, I’m fine playing fast and loose with vague terms if everyone else here is, and I must say this review will be littered with them. Anyway, let’s stop wasting time and get into the music.
The first thing apparent after listening to Gaia is that the album takes a complete turn in style and sound almost exactly halfway through. The first four tracks are undeniably dubstep, with many recurring traits of the genre I’ll describe a little later on. The last four tracks however, ditch the dubstep elements in favor of a much calmer, serene atmospheric approach. I suppose this is the part of the album they generically described as “electronic.” The middle song, Escape, serves as a sort of bridge between these two sections of the album. I must say the structuring on this album feels…off because of this almost hard split between styles. It feels less like a cohesive whole and more like two separate EPs shoved together to achieve LP status. I suppose this split does make my job easier though, as I’ll be talking about each section in a grouped off fashion, as my opinions tend to be similar between tracks in these groups.
We’ll start with the front half, consisting of “Amor,” “Collide,” “Omni,” and “Fire Away.” I need to get this out of the way as fast as possible now that we’re here: I do not enjoy dubstep. Many of the little defining features bring me an overall sense of discomfort when from what I can tell they’re supposed to bring excitement. I’m okay with music making me feel uncomfortable, but only when that’s the intended effect. Something about the sudden starting and stopping of the instrumentation, the chopped up vocals jumping out disjointedly in between, all as the music grows louder and louder, all of this just brings me to a state of, well, annoyance. I find this type of thing annoying. And these elements are everywhere in these first four songs. While I did like “Omni” and “Fire Away” more than the first two tracks, I still wouldn’t say I derived enjoyment from either, nor that I wish to listen to them again. These songs aren’t all bad I will concede, there are elements here that I enjoy. There are peaceful synths that birth nostalgia and some lovely vocals provided by guests Syrin and Danyka Nadeau. It’s just that overall, I did not enjoy this album’s front half.
“Escape” is different. “Escape” does not have a drop. “Escape” feels very dancey. “Escape” is, well, fun. I recall sitting through, waiting for the song to do something that would break my interest, but that never happened. I enjoyed the song from start to finish, and is something I would gladly listen to again. It’s just a high energy, fun song that avoids what I would call the pitfalls of its earlier peers. But things are about to change. Escape seems to have sapped the last of the hyperactivity out of Fractal, as the next four songs are something completely different.
“Voyage,” “Sanctum,” “Skyline,” and the aptly named “Wind Mantras.” These songs seem to have been made with something completely different in mind. These songs are light, heavily atmospheric, and bring about a feeling calm energy. These are songs one could work to, study to, and even sleep to. “Sanctum” is the greatest standout here, as the longest track on the album and possibly the best, though I’d still say “Escape” is my personal favorite. The whole thing is just very peaceful and relaxing, while still providing a thoughtful atmosphere and never dripping into the realm of boring. It’s not terribly dynamic, sure, but that doesn’t matter for what it seems these songs are trying to achieve. “Skyline” feels like an extension of “Sanctum,” thus all I can really say about it is what I have to say about “Sanctum.” It almost feels as though the two were meant to be a singular song, but were split up for whatever reason. And the closer, “Wind Mantras,” is exactly what the name evokes. It’s wind noises and synths for four minutes and it’s just peaceful bliss. While what I’ve described in this section may not be my cup of tea, it’s all undeniably well crafted and I can see the appreciation it would generate. It’s a complete 180 from the first half of the album where I couldn’t understand why someone would listen to this to music where I can understand fully. But at the end of the day, all of it, aside perhaps “Escape,” is just not for me.
So what would I rate this album so detached from my musical tastes. Out of fairness and appreciation for the later tracks, from my enjoyment of its middle track, and for my disagreement with its track layout for an overall experience, for it all:
I will give this album a 5/10, an average score (not a derogatory one, mind you) for an album that in every way seems to middle out with itself.
I hope you enjoyed, dear reader, and I’ll be speaking with you all again next week as we jump back to the past and look at 10cc’s 1977 record Deceptive Bends.
A Journey Through Music 