“Frak is someone who never disappoints. It is not just one record, or their music, but the attitude of the group and the label, Borft, that’s very attractive.”
The writing was on the wall for a Frak release on Lux Rec for some time, with Cosmo and Faber singing the praises of the Swedish three man group in an Igloo Mag interview a year back. And rightly so, Frak, and Borft, have been responsible for some groundbreaking music in their near thirty year existence. Lux hooked up with Villa Abo for Dying Lights but now the Swiss label is ready to give them some full vinyl space to the Swedes with Primitive Drums.
The 12” has a reduced gritty streak running through it. As the title might suggest, percussion is at the core. Raspy kicks and grimy bass lines are at the core of “Radiant Dominance.” The track has a low level intensity, one that never boils into outright bedlam. “Southern East Light” is a more menacing affair. Those same rhythm patterns are present but looming is a reverberating line. Larger and larger this sinister synth grows before burying itself in ash. The flip takes on a different aspect. “Lancing Stroboscopes” is trudging electro. Keys are staggered as skeletal snares stab but as layers are applied a different sound oozes out. A variety of elements are slowly built in, the piece rises into a weighty and wonderful work of psyched out electronics. And to keep the listener guessing the finale, “Flashrock,” comes again from a different place. The melody comes from the annals of early Synth Wave, yet the fuzzy beats and timing are from another past echo.
You never really know what you’re going to get with Frak, but you’re near always going to get something interesting. This is the case with Primitive Drums. The four works show the gamut of Frak’s range, their ability to blend and cross styles to produce their own unique sound. Other dance music from the margins.
Primitive Drums is available on Lux Rec.
