Stephan Thelen – Fractal Guitar 4 (Moonjune, 2026)
Stephan Thelen’s Fractal Guitar 4 extends a project he began in 2015, developed around his spellbinding “Fractal Guitar” technique: rhythmic delays with heavy feedback that generate cascading patterns in unusual meters. The album retains the intricate polyrhythms associated with Thelen’s work in SONAR. At the same time, he places greater emphasis on atmosphere, inventive and accessible improvisation, and emotional expression.
Recorded in 2025, primarily in Bucharest, Zürich, Oslo, and Portland, the album presents Thelen alongside guitarist Eivind Aarset, guitarist Jon Durant, and drummer Yogev Gabay. Markus Reuter, Fabio Anile, Stefan Huth, Giri Subramaniam, and Andi Pupato contribute to select pieces. Aarset has an especially prominent role, adding distinctive guitar parts throughout the record.
The music combines complex meters with sharply contrasting moods. “In Search of the Miraculous” combines an 11/4 groove with layered polyrhythms, while “Fractal Guitar Goes to Africa” develops from a 9/4 foundation and incorporates ideas influenced by African music.
“Haumea” revisits material from Transneptunian Planets, and “Crossroads” mixes a 13/4 guitar pattern with acoustic guitar and tabla. “Creatures of the Night” favors a nocturnal atmosphere, while the two-part “Eclipse” traces a path from darkness and tension toward a more luminous conclusion.
Ultimately, Fractal Guitar 4 presents Thelen’s mathematical precision and electric guitar experimentation within a broader expressive framework.
Musicians: Eivind Aarset on guitar, bass guitar, e-bow, floating fuzz guitar, and effects; Markus Reuter on U8 touch guitar and fuzzwall; Jon Durant on fretted, fretless, and acoustic guitars and clouds; Stefan Huth on AU8 touch guitar (bass); Yogev Gabay on drums and percussion; Stephan Thelen on guitar, fractal guitar, bass guitar, organ, e-piano, keyboards, synth, granular synth, kalimba, celesta, percussion, strings, voices, fractal delays, electronics, samples, and programming, and contributes horn arrangements; Giri Subramaniam on tabla; Andi Pupato on framedrum, hihat, azzam bells, and percussion; and Fabio Anile on Fender Rhodes.