The byline to Gabriel Johnson's latest album, Fra_ctured says a man, a trumpet, and electronic alchemy and that wouldn't be far from the truth. Sounding like the last trumpet in a sea of synthesized future music, Fra_ctured sounds like a lost world within the Blade Runneruniverse. It's engrossing, hypnotizing stuff that mingles between the 80's soundscapes of Jean Michael Jarre, fusion, and new age. It's a retro-futuristic record that will have you dreaming of other worlds and other times and something tells me that's just the way virtuoso trumpet player, Johnson likes it.
With songs to fit every mood or script sequence, so much of Fra_ctured is set for use as a soundtrack you can almost hear the story come to life. With music that's romantic, spine tingling, atmospheric and just about everything else, the only thing missing on Fra_ctured is the actual movie. This is a really cool record that totally reminds me of early 80's synth work when the technology was fresh and experimental and you could do no wrong. Fra_ctured is that kind of record; experimental in all the best ways, but still song driven so that you can't help but pay attention to what's going on around you and if you don't your mind's eye most definitely does.
The mixing of acoustic instrumentation along with the electronic side of things makes Fra_ctured fascinating because you're never exactly sure where the album is going to go next. Gabriel Johnson has done a fantastic job of putting this whole thing together and whether it's the blistering solos on, "Charisma Machine," or the self explanatory, "No Words," he proves that the two forms can exist together. Fra_ctured is a study in contrasts and sound and that's what makes this record good. Like a blast from the past, Gabriel Johnson moves forward into the future to remind us the power of songs without words. Great stuff.
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