Fantomacs explores new sounds & styles on album, "De Novo"
Not long after our last review of his record So Pure, Fantomacs has made his return with another outstanding new album, De Novo. Please read on for an in-depth look into the album, as well as an update on this emerging artist.
For those still out of the loop, Fantomacs is the project of Joerg Peters who is a beyond skilled live musician, keyboardist, and producer. With help from Heidi Marlen Grau on the spoken word poetry added to this new album De Novo, the two collaborators have gone above and beyond in creating something that transcends genre and style. Everything about it feels original and fresh, and with its release coming on October 7th, now’s the perfect time to dive straight into it.
At 9 total tracks on De Novo, Fantomacs does an impeccable job of keeping things sounding cohesive from beginning to end. Of course the artist has surely taken his own liberties in going off the deep end productionally, but with the addition of Heidi’s poetic verses, this album comes together to feel like a full experience. We will preface this by saying that she’s speaking in German, so we can’t quite make out the message that’s coming across, however it surely adds an interesting vibe and aura to the soundscapes that are being created. She’s featured on 5 of the 9 songs and each of those do a great job of splitting up the more high tempo tracks and bringing things down a notch when necessary. Our personal favorites of hers were “Into the Light” and “So Pure”.
Speaking on the non-poetic tracks though, Fantomacs is at his best when creating this explosive instrumentals, in a way like we’ve never heard before. You’re always growing as a producer in one way or another, capitalizing on the experimentation, but the inclusion of flutes for example was a wild and unexpected surprise. Left and right you’re hit with these twists and turns in dynamics yet everything being thrown at you works incredibly well in the grand scheme. Some tracks like “Deepest Feelings” make you feel like you’re in a video game whereas others like “De Novo” could easily be played in a dark nightclub in the wee hours. The versatility of these songs is endless and we sincerely can’t wait to make a return to further extrapolate everything we may have missed.
For now, please check out the links below to listen, follow along, and catch yourself up on Fantomacs’ music. Enjoy!
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