The harp, the cello, the violin, the flute, the gemshorn – and all that in a rock band? Really? Yes! On their new album Frequency Drift merge influences as diverse as Pink Floyd, Renaissance and film music in fascinating fashion: cinematic progressive rock.
Founded in 2007 by keyboarder and mastermind Andreas Hack, Bayreuth-based Frequency Drift now present their fifth studio album Over. When compared to its critically acclaimed predecessors the record shows tremendous progress – yet again. More than ever the instruments are in the center of attention and, in addition to the abovementioned variety, this time there are instrumental exotics such as the duclar, a tin whistle, different harps, a marimba and a wavedrum. Thus Frequency Drift enter an entirely new dimension within the rock-context, elegantly avoid the pitfalls of cliché of the genre and finally create a musical mixture that holds something for everybody, ranging from prog-fans via lovers of world music all the way to listeners of classical works.
This love of experimenting also becomes evident in the fact that, opposed to general customs, the band decided to not have only one single voice on the record. Frequency Drift rather went with a different plan. With the spectacular shooting star Isa Fallenbacher, who appears on the majority of the songs, as well as the jazz-trained Agathe Labus there are no less than two singers that perform the lyrics that function as the listeners’ keywords – while still leaving space for interpretation.
As regards content, especially, the fifth album of the southern Germans has an almost unprecedented depth to offer. The band deals with the area of tension between idyll and decay and in that fuses the urban and cold sounds of the Personal Effects Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 records from the early days of Frequency Drift with the warm and more organic sounds of the recent records Ghosts and Laid to Rest. Held together by an ever larger harmonic and rhythmic variety, a fascinating masterpiece comes together that is perfected by the cover pictures of Alina Rudya. The work of the Ukrainian shows the photographer’s hometown of Pripyat that has been abandoned since the Chernobyl disaster and where nature continues to make its way – despite all existence-threatening conditions. Corresponding to those aesthetics Frequency Drift, through their soundscapes, create a surreal atmosphere of loss, decay, abandonment but also liberation. The fact that the generous use of effects often leads to space-ish sounds only adds further to that impression.
Tracklist:
1. Run (7:05)
2. Once (6:06)
3. Adrift (4:39)
4. Them (7:52)
5. Sagittarius A* (5:50)
6. Suspended (8:28)
7. Wave (3:42)
8. Wander (5:33)
9. Driven (4:54)
10. Release (6:47)
11. Memory (10:00)
12. Disappeared (4:22)
Line-up:
Andreas Hack (keys, guitars, bass)
Isa Fallenbacher (vocals)
Nerissa Schwarz (electric harp)
Christian Hack (guitar, bass)
Tino Schmidt (bass)
Sibylle Friz (cello)
Ulrike Reichel (violin, viola)
Jasper Jöris (gemshorn)
With
Steve Hohenberger (guitar)
Agathe Labus (vocals)
Martin Schnella (Flaming Row) (acoustic & electric guitars)
Phil Paul Rissettio (Ex-RPWL) (drums)
Kalle Wallner (RPWL)(bass, guitars)
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