Fractal Sextet - Sky Full of Hope

Calling Stephan Thelen’s music an extension of the Swiss Minimalist movement may have once seemed appropriate. However, in the years since his band Sonar and Fractal Guitar projects have come to the fore, that characterization has increasingly become inadequate. Proximity, influence, and linkages exist but Thelen’s copious activities in the last decade show such a deepening of his root concepts coupled with an embrace of the new, the notion is virtually moot.

One of the projects that most validates this point is Fractal Sextet, which began after a suggestion was made (to Thelen and frequent collaborator/ guitarist Jon Durant) that an actual band tackle Thelen’s Fractal Guitar vehicles. For the Sextet, Thelen and Durant chose former Porcupine Tree bassist (and Durant collaborator) Colin Edwin, classical pianist and keyboardist Fabio Anile, former Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin percussionist Andi Pupato, and Israeli-born drum phenom Yogev Gabay. Their resulting eponymous debut proved an exciting leap forward for Thelen’s Fractal concept and elicited high hopes for more from this group.

Now with their second album, Sky Full of Hope, the Fractal Sextet makes good on the promise of that debut, further solidifying their collective identity. No sophomore curse here. This album is enhanced by a comfort level and group assuredness that heightens the chemistry so previously palpable, allowing the players to stretch out even more.

For evidence of this, look no further than the opening “Uneven” with Gabay and Pupato going positively tribal or Anile’s new-found uses of Mini-Moog throughout and harmonic reboot of “Ladder To The Stars.” Thelen himself steps out more at times, with frontal solos on “Flight of the Phoenix” and the title track. Durant, whose nuanced fretless guitar was so prominent on the Sextet’s previous outing, also contributes some epic fretted solos – one even bordering on the Trower-esque.

Add to that Edwin’s Karn-like bass touches on the closing “Four Hands” and one really begins to get a feel for the new territory probed on SFOH .

But, as in a preceding metaphor, Sky Full of Hope also goes deeper into the group’s root concepts. “It’s a very polyrhythmic album,” says Thelen. Indeed, SFOH not only embraces the metric penchants of previous Fractal projects but often doubles down on them:
‘Flight of the Phoenix’ is in 7/4 with lots of different ‘fractal’ melodies in 3/8, 5/8, 7/8 and 15/8 going on. On ‘Ladder To The Stars’ the basic riff is in 11/8 while the fast organ / guitar / Mini Moog patterns are in 7/8 and 10/8. ‘My Secret Place’ is insanely polyrhythmic – 9 against 7 and a lot of other time signatures. Even Yogev had to do a few takes before he nailed it.”

If all this gives the idea that the music on Sky Full of Hope somehow warrants something even vaguely akin to the heinous appellation “math rock”, think again. Part of the true success here is the Fractal Sextet’s ability to interpret complicated polymetric ideas and render them in a deep, compelling, yet accessible way. Says Thelen “With Yogev in the driver’s seat, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Indeed, while Gabay is unquestionably a major lynchpin to the proceedings ( as well as one of the group’s prime catalysts ), it might be easy to overlook the main reason why all these complexities remain buoyant – the marriage of refined spatial sensibilities and sheer musicality possessed by all in this group. That’s the synergy that was implied in the initial idea for the group when it was suggested – and that’s what the Fractal Sextet has thrillingly made manifest on Sky Full of Hope.

Mike Jacobs, music journalist for All About Jazz