Divergent Fractals is the Portugal, Porto-based duo of electric guitarist and synth player Johnny Murata and Brazilian drummer-percussionist Sérgio Vieira who teams on «Crossing» with American, Minneapolis electric bassist Erik Fratzke, known from alternative bands like Fake Accent, Happy Apple and Dave King Trucking Company. Divergent Fractals focuses on experimenting with free improvisation, subtleties of minimalism, dark ambient and dense, energetic noise.
«Crossing» is the third album of Divergent Fractals, following «Rough Ground» (2019, with electric bassist João Próspero) and «The Black Box Sessions» (2020). The album was recorded between June and September 2020. Fratzke was invited as a guest bass player who can enrich the dynamics of Divergent Fractals with his extreme explorations.
«Crossing» features three pieces. Vieria’s drumming sketches on the opening piece «CRO» a spacious-atmospheric framework for Murata and Fratzke’s energetic fusion acrobatics. «SS» dares much more and blends elements of Brazilian folk music with dark, noisy ambient but soon retreats to familiar fusion formulas. Murata introduces Indian-tinged colors with his synth on the last piece «ING» and later his atmospheric guitar playing leads the expanded Divergent Fractals to its freest dynamics, suggesting an evocative, ambient soundscape, before the trio insists, again, on revisiting fusion clichés.
Eyal Hareuveni
Johnny Murata (g, synth), Sérgio Vieira (dr, perc), Erik Fratzke (el.b)
