T: Fragmentropy

Thomas Thielen is a German multi-instrumentalist and composer who has released a number of albums, five to be exact, under the t moniker. The first and only time I had heard t was the Anti-Matter Poetry album, that is until his latest release Fragmentropy.

As with all his releases T plays everything himself. He has even been learning the art of mixing and production so this is truly a one man effort although the album was mastered by Jürgen Lusky at Hofa Studios.

There is a story behind Fragmentropy ( a tragic love story perhaps) which I have yet to figure out given the booklet has an unreadable font, at least to my eyes. Fortunately this is a minor complaint because it the music I seek out, everything else is just gravy.

So that leads us to the music. The disc is broken up into three chapters, with a total running time of over seventy-six minutes so there is a lot to absorb. The first chapter titled "Anisotropic Dances" is an incredible journey through post rock soundscapes and symphonic/heavy progressive rock, although this music cannot easily be pigeonholed. The beginning is very moody and minimalistic with intermittent bursts of distorted guitar. The riffs get heavier as the tension mounts. There is an electronic/programming presence and I like the amalgamation of organic and synthetic textures melded together to create a sort of dystopian futuristic soundscape. The song traverses soft and heavy motifs and the vocals are just about perfect for this type of music. At one point Berlin-era Bowie came to mind, both musically and vocally. Carptree is another strong reference point. There is so much happening both vocally and musically one would swear T has a full band backing him up. The snarling synth solo near song's end is also worth noting.The tracks ease into one another in a seamless yet distinctive way taking a variety of twists and turns that are both abrupt and smooth. The variety of musical ideas is almost overwhelming.

Straddling the border between eclectic and traditional progressive rock, Fragmentropy just might appeal to a wide range of music fans. A stunning musical achievement that deserves an excellent rating of 4.5 stars.

Another winner from Progressive Promotions Records.

Track Listing:
Chapter One: Anisotropic Dances
1. A Sky-High Pile Of Anarchy (14:07)
2. Brand New Mornings (13:04)
Chapter Two: The Politics Of Entropy
3. Uncertainty (7:17)
4. Entanglement (16:39)
5. Eigenstates (6:38)
Chapter Three: The Art Of Double Binding
6. The Black Of White (9:16)
7. Shades Of Silver (8:21)

Added: September 29th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2785
Language: english

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