“Like always, Frank Dorittke's music has this easy way to charm us”
1 Mandarinentraum 27:06
2 Galaxy 2008 6:53
3 Spaceball 6:26
4 Blue Planet 6:40
5 November Day 4:50
6 Heavensgate 7:34
7 Spectral 4:39
8 Heaven Must Be Proud 5:20
(DDL 69:28) (V.F.)
(Minimalist Berlin School)
I really like FD Project. His music always flows with a harmony whose premise is a clever mix of guitars, both electric and acoustic, and synths that sway between the Berlin School territories, the new one like the retro, with a gentle influence of Mike Oldfield, especially for the album Tubular Bells. He charms like never before on HEAVENSGATE and its superb epic track that exceeds 27 minutes and is worth the price of its download alone. A real good Berlin School well sequenced that Frank Dorittke throws between the ears and that thrones among a superb collection of tracks all as attractive as each other.
A slow reverberating undulation opens Mandarinentraum (The Mandarin's Dream). Its introduction is cosmic with sound effects from an analog universe under a fluty mellotron with a very Software flavor. Quietly, we are invaded by a post 70's Berlin School with a limpid sounds and a sequence with crystalline keys that delicately turns in a sea of synths with undulating breaths, as spectral as sharp. A hypnotic fantasia that rocks in a cosmos with a starry background of spinning streaks in order to marry the delicate rhythm of a sequencer with bouncing chords. Very well structured, Mandarinentraum is perfumed with several musical influences of the Tangerine Dream years with disconcerting rhythmic approaches, as we find on Blue Planet. Approaches that destabilize the listener with unexpected reversals, like at the 15th minute where the rhythm lights up under good tam-tam percussions and a sharp whistle synth. This long track evolves continuously on rhythms in constant mutation, and which overlap with subtlety without ever leading us to ambient sources, as rarely a track of this length can do it. A splendid title where synths and guitars are of a pleasant complicity, especially towards the finale, on sequences with astonishing reversals. Good Berlin School, Mandarinentraum is certainly one of the beautiful compositions of the genre in 2008.
Galaxy 2008 flows languidly on a mellotron wave full of celestial voices. The rhythm follows the sensual movement of a good bass line under a cloud of guitar solos rolling in loops. A track of a delectable sweetness, just like November Day and its melancholic melody. Spaceball is for guitar lovers. A heavy guitar with divine solos that clings to an intro filled of streamers and garlands with cosmic tones under good percussions' strikes. This guitar is also incisive on a cadence that pulses hypnotically while being coated with interstellar sound effects. Timid, the title-track moves on nervously, like a clock seeking for its ticking, before taking the shape of a catchy sequenced ditty. This beautiful introduction generates a sustained rhythm with a guitar phase that catches the ear and burrows in, like a tasty earworm. Spectral doesn't betray its name with its sinister walk over a bouncy bass line. Delicate chords cling to this line to unfold a melodious spectrum that criss-crosses over a strong funky space movement. Heaven Must Be Proud closes this 6th FD Project opus with a nice melody that features Gilbert Steffan's voice and whose sensuality and virginity are wonderfully linked to the laments of an electric six-string. Basic but beautiful...like some really good New Age. It's like a drop of boredom in this absolutely confusing rain of sequences that is HEAVENSGATE.
Like always, Frank Dorittke's music has an easy way to charm us with these minimalist ritornellos and rhythms which have this gift of bewitching as long as the music unrolls the sand of its hourglasses. Like a certain Mike Oldfield. A superb album that should parade among 2008's Top 10.
Sylvain Lupari (September 12th, 2009) *****
Available at FD Project Bandcamp