Frank Molders EP debut could be considered as a miniture LP as well: Ranging from experimental ambient to melodic electro, "Tronik" shows a wide spectrum of Franks production abilities - and still only parts of it. Tracks 2 to 5 are taken from the production cycle - "Das Universum"- conceptualized around the theme "space travel". So take your seat and get ready for the mission...
Reviewer: protobadger -
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March 18, 2006 Subject: Some highpoints, some lowpoints. So anyway, Frank Molder's album "Tronik". How is it?
Despite my friend insisting that this is pretty good, I don't think it's good. I think it's got its good points ("Die Galaxis" and "Partikelflug"), but a lot of it is just neatly put together noise (listening to stress produces a likewise effect, unsurprisingly.), listening to this thing, gives me a headache, especially when I'm tired (I've found that how bearable a piece of electronic/mix music sounds when you're really tired is often a good indicator of whether its a good piece in general). It's just a bunch of screechy, bustly noise over and over again. It's just such negative, pointless, painful-to-the-ears stuff.
I only ever listen to Die Galaxis anymore, I've deleted all the other ones, because the other ones just sound too harsh. That's the bottom line. This music is too harsh on the ears. Frank Tronik needs to learn to soften up his music, round it out. If he's going to continue composing most of it from random city / space inspired noise, he could at least choose some more comfortable, easy noises. Noises that make for good music. Because I think I'm speaking the whole truth when I say that half this album isn't even music. I don't even know what it is, but for some of the songs, it just feels like there's not enough melody, rhythym, beat, harmony, or anything that could resemble a tune to make it qualify as music. Yeah, maybe as ambient, but even then, the constant airplane noise and oscillation in a song like 'voices' ruins any possible enjoyment to be had from the good parts. And by good, I mean "the least worst parts".
Try again, Frank. I'm not sure what your excuse for this was. Was this supposed to be a "concept album" or something? I don't know, I don't care, it didn't work. Please, add a tune, melody, a rhythym, a beat, something. Even if its subtle, just give it something. Because this, this is just an occasional nice hum. Die Galaxis was a fantastic, happy exception. It shows that you know how to do it. Partikelflug was like a lesser version of Die Galaxis following the same basicbeat-buildup-peak-dissassembly-basicbeat formula as Die Galaxis.
Maybe next time he could try to go for something a little more complicated or interesting than just seemingly random noise or formula music. Cause this stuff... well... I'll be honest... most of it sucks.
