// I fall asleep, I couldn't care who couldn't care less // never-ending deja vú, got moments when i got nothing // bottomless and boundless, I want to self-destruct. //
Fokular’s “Narrative” advances on the sound and vision outlined by Weltschmerzen’s first 3 releases. The collection of 5 instrumental tracks brings forward themes such as the contemporary human condition, dignity, frailty and existence in a world full of crises and failures. The manifesto of a lone soul.
On his first ever solo release, Fokular brings forward and develops a sound that is grounded in his previous projects as a drummer >> in the Slovak doom legend Möbius, and also other dark and hardcore projects Unattended Funeral and Boiling Point. For the first time he assumes the role of a solo producer to fill us with common feelings of despair, raises questions of belonging, and provides us a space to contemplate and observe. Existentialism in music at its best.
None of the doom and sludge has gone away. The drums are heavy as ever, the tempo gliding, repetitive, mesmerising in a way you lose the sense of time. But Fokular advances all of this yet further, bringing forth other genres he draws inspiration from >> heavy, dense hip-hop beats and post-modern jazz. Imagine Portishead and The Body on steroids and ketamine >> more stripped-down, doomy, and seismic.
On Narrative, Fokular is accompanied by kindred musicians Edúv Syn, Tomáš Urík and Dominik Novák, supplying vocals, melodic, synths and key instruments // and visual artist Dominika Koššová, augmenting the work with stunning artwork and visuals. He considers the album a shared structure, built together by people with a common background and worldview, and praises this organic process; being the one who orchestrates, produces and mends it all together.
Intrinsically, Fokular is not fond of listening back to the pieces. Composing them was a sort of self-therapy, and expectedly, this brings forward feelings of personal and emotional struggle, loneliness, alienation, and a personification of his inner world. They capture everything he went through during an intense year // raw and alive.
In the centre are drums, serving as a backbone for the rest. But don’t deceive yourself >> the rest is not redundant, or lacking in expression. The pieces work as a whole, the drums are a gem, sitting on top, tarnishing the listener. The material is carefully composed and produced, and rich in detail; layers of cold and lonely synth lines sitting above existentialist field recordings and drones; carefully laid down to build structures and atmospheres, which are heavier than dams >> just before they collapse at dawn.
credits
released November 27, 2020
Narrative draws from Dominik Novák’s sample library. ‘Through the Alleys of Lost Dreams’ features Edúv syn. ‘Crying for Meaning’ was composed by and features Tomáš Urík.
Many thanks to Dominika Koššová, Weltschmerzen label (Dominik Suchý, Matúš Mordavský and Tomáš Prištiak), Edúv syn, Tomáš Urík, Dominik Novák, Michal Spáda, Daniel Kozlík, Martu, Zuzana Hrivňáková, Neonix Photography, Wanda Kaprálová, Tomáš Pikhart,
my whole family and above all to all my friends.
Dedicated primarily to those who have a difficult time finding happiness in life, suffer with psychological problems, face permanent domestic violence, or cultural, ethnic
or religious oppression. Life is about respect and help.
//
produced, recorded, mixed by Fokular
mastered by Dominik Suchy,
artwork by Dominika Koššová
design by Dominika Koššová and Folding Cave
recorded in Melody Studio, Prague.
A bit Stranger Things, a bit electronic dance music. A wonderful capture of a mood where we know we should be fine but it feels empty and painful inside. Enjoy the pain and the relief that listening to this weirdly gives you. mdrx
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Found these guys thanks to GERGAZ. 30 seconds into Art of the Trial and I instantly placed an order for the vinyl. These guys are good! DAMN GOOD! J. Moore
