Fractal Guitar 4 is the new studio album by Swiss guitarist and composer Stephan Thelen, released in May 2026. It marks the fourth instalment in his highly acclaimed, avant-garde Fractal Guitar series, blending progressive rock, ambient soundscapes, math rock, and nu-jazz. On this new album Fractal Guitar 4, Stephan wanted to work with other guitarists whom he personally finds very special. People like Eivind Aarset (guitars), Markus Reuter (U8 touch guitar), Stefan Huth (AU8 touch guitar), and Jon Durant (guitars) ensure that there is plenty of variety on the strings. Additionally, it is clearly audible that he has brought in a fantastic drummer this time, named Yogev Gabay. He regularly provides beautiful accents in the music through his technical style of playing. Truly a pleasure to listen to. Together with the earlier mentioned Stefan Huth, who is only featured on three tracks playing on the bass, he forms a solid rhythmic tandem that the music clearly needs. Furthermore, contributions can be heard from Giri Subramaniam on tabla, Fabio Anile on Fender Rhodes, and Andi Pupato on frame drum, hi-hat, azzam bells, and percussion. Finally, Thelen himself naturally makes the most musical contribution by playing the many guitars and keyboards. Additionally, he contributes on percussion, electronics, and programming. Fractal Guitar 4 was produced by Stephan Thelen in Bucharest, Romania, between March and December 2025 and recorded at various locations in Bucharest, Oslo, Portland, Boston, Zürich, Rome, Berlin and Krefeld. The album contains eight tracks and are most of all written by Thelen himself. Except for Fractal Guitar Goes To Africa which was co-written by Thelen and Aarset, Besides that track also Haumea is a track which was co-written by the same duo but with some help of J. Peter Schwalm as well. I will not go into detail about the tracks available to listen to. Especially since the overall impression of this album is positive, and it sounds incredibly good, particularly regarding sound quality. A great deal of effort has truly been put into delivering excellent sound. Compliments for that. Thumbs up also for the relaxed atmosphere provided. What stands out most is the diversity of musical influences from different continents. Such as the many Eastern music influences. The Eastern influences on Fractal Guitar 4 are one of the most fascinating innovations on the album. Thelen weaves these elements together in a subtle, hypnotic way with his signature mathematical guitar patterns. Some of the Eastern elements on the album are provided by Indian percussionist Subramaniam and plays a key role on the album. With his traditional hand percussion ,such as the table, he breaks through the tight, Western drum rhythms. This creates an organic, warm, and earthy groove. The new version of Haumea is a good example for its distinct Eastern atmosphere. The song opens with mystical, raga-like guitar lines reminiscent of traditional Indian string instruments. Also the shimmering guitar lines give an eastern feeling. Instead of blues- or rock-like bends, Thelen and guest guitarist Durant use flowing, microtonal guitar effects. These floating tones mimic the sound of Eastern string instruments, creating a dreamy and spiritual character. Norwegian guitarist Aarset adds soundscapes with his ambient guitar synthesizers that feel like cinematic, Asian, or Arabian desert landscapes. This reinforces the album's'world music' feel. Also the hypnotizing repetition gives this feeling. The minimalist polyrhythms for which Thelen is known blend perfectly on this album with the meditative, mantra-like character of Eastern music traditions. As a result, the songs do not build up to a classic rock climax but invite you into a deep, trance-like listening session. But the African music influences are also audible. The African influences on Fractal Guitar 4 come to the fore most explicitly in the album's second track, aptly titled Fractal Guitar Goes to Africa. Here, Thelen combines his minimalist, mathematical guitar structures with the rich, polyrhythmic traditions of the African continent. The key African elements on the album are complex polyrhythms. African music is known for playing different rhythms simultaneously (cross-rhythms). Thelen uses this technique to blend his tight 'fractal' patterns with the swinging, layered rhythms of West and Central Africa. This gives the music a danceable yet intellectual groove. As with the Eastern influences, the album borrows from the African tradition in which music works in a hypnotic and trance-inducing way through endless repetition. You can compare the dynamics on Fractal Guitar Goes to Africa to a modern, avant-garde interpretation of Afrobeat. Just listen to the role of bass and percussion in this particular track. The rhythm section and guest percussionists lay down a foundation that feels warmer and more dynamic than the mechanical beats of Western prog rock. It forms an organic contrast to the cool, clear guitar sounds. Also important are the interlocking guitar patterns. The way Thelen and his guest guitarists interlock their guitar lines shows strong similarities to traditional African pop music in which guitars often function as a type of melodic percussion instrument. Finally it is easy to say that the Western influences form the architectural foundation of Fractal Guitar 4. Where Eastern and African elements provide colour and organic rhythms, the basic structure of Stephan Thelen's music leans heavily on Western avant-garde, minimalism, and progressive rock traditions. The key Western element on the album is the Western minimalism. Thelen is deeply influenced by American minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. The technique of phase shifting—where two identical guitar patterns shift relative to each other just out of measure—is a purely Western, classical compositional technique. It's the well known King Crimson and the 80s Discipline sound and therefore you can say that the main Western rock influence on the album is the progressive rock band King Crimson, specifically their guitar work from the 80s. The way the guitars on Fractal Guitar 4 interlock tightly, hypnotically, and rhythmically is directly derived from the style of Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew. But we must not forget the Classical mathematical structures. The 'fractals' in the album title refer to geometric and mathematical patterns. This translates into tightly conceived, cerebral compositions in which every instrument has a predetermined, mathematical role within the Western tonal system. Ambient and Nu-Jazz textures: The soundscapes and the use of guitar synthesizers lean heavily on the European ambient and nu-jazz tradition. The tribute to Bill Laswell on the track Crossroads (For Bill Laswell) is a direct Western influence. It honours the iconic American bassist and producer Bill Laswell, whose work in the New York underground is a major source of inspiration for the heavy, pulsating bass lines on this album. In summary, it can clearly be stated that the album is a mix of Western, Eastern, and African musical influences. This has been beautifully blended by the musicians who contributed to this album. This album is a very original one, where you are surprised anew with every listen by something you may not have heard before. Of course, this kind of music is not for everyone and may be difficult to listen to. It might be particularly hard to understand for those who only listen to the progressive rock music of the well-known names in the genre. But those who step just beyond the musical boundaries of the genre will find much that is beautiful. I have experienced this myself. So try to be open to something new that fits in a bit with our genre as well. *** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
