Ferenc Fraximal

Kompakt has been shaping its very own neo-trance resurgence for a few years now. The results have been mixed, spanning from the heights of Michael Mayer’s distinctive Touch down to Kaito’s uninspired epic-length singles. Leave it to Ferenc then, one of the more unassuming members of techno’s royal family, to pull a divisive genre free of all its baggage, rip open a new bag of glow sticks, and get people dancing in spirals without abandon. Fraximal, the duo’s debut album, is a back-to-basics, no-nonsense type of record. Ferenc are Maxi Ruiz and Fra Soler, and their trance update is lined on one side by the sound of classic Detroit synths, and on the other side with the edgier grooves of Wolfgang Voigt’s techno output. The bass drops down so deep you’ll risk the bends. Otherwise, the album’s conscious anonymity is refreshing, and in this manner Fraximal has more in common with Kompakt’s singles, the label’s cream, instead of its full-lengths, which at times grow too pre-occupied with staking out signatures. In all events, an exciting and formidable debut, one well worth seeking out. (Kompakt)

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