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FJAAK - FJAAK

Name: FJAAK - FJAAK
Item: FJAAK - FJAAK
Author: Hugh Taylor

Veröffentlicht
Jan 24, 2017
Worte
Hugh Taylor
Label
Monkeytown Records
MTR 71LP
Veröffentlicht
January 2017
Genre
Techno

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Most of FJAAK's music has come out on labels run by Modeselektor, which is very fitting. The attitude of their music recalls the German duo in their wacky, genre-hopping, Happy Birthday! prime. But while in those days Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary played around with hip-hop and dancehall structures, FJAAK focus on creating breakbeat-ridden dance floor bombs. Much of FJAAK's self-titled debut album marries these characteristics to a more traditional techno structure. The record opens with "Spnd Ballett," which, with its garage swing and droney bassline, feels like it could be a Moderat instrumental. "Sixteen Levels" continues in a similar vein, albeit smothered in crackling distortion. "Wolves," the record's first single, is a peak-time stomper in the vein of Shed, with a massive kick and a full-bodied 909 right in the front of the mix. It's the kind of track you can tell was born from a live jam, as indeed is all of FJAAK's music. You can even watch one of these tracks coming together: "Against The Clock" is a reedited version of their contribution to the FACT TV series of the same name. "Fast Food" sticks to a Miami bass template, "Snow" is a classic breaks number. "Offline," their collaboration with Rødhåd, is a departure from the Dystopian artist's hypnotic, loopy standard, but it retains his understated sense of menace. As a collection of standalone tracks, FJAAK is impressive. It's consistently fun, even at its darkest moments, and while the trio mess around with a lot of different forms, they still retain a sound of their own. At times, though, that consistency can be their downfall. Too often these tracks rely on the basic structure of build, break and drop. Occasionally, their chords, used to soften the percussive onslaught, skew a little too cheesy. It's only near the end of the album we get something that doesn't seem designed to be a club weapon: the beatless "Tomorrow." FJAAK could have used more moments like these. But when it hits, it really hits.
Tracklist