Title: Broken Grid
Artist: Solar Fake
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 1st February 2008
Label: Synthetic Symphony
Introduction
Most of you know Sven Friedrich as the front man of the bands ZERAPHINE and DREADFUL SHADOWS which are more rocking. But now he's started a new project called SOLAR FAKE which is a pure electronic project. The debut album ‘Broken Grid’ is already finished and will be released in February 2008.
Members
Sven Friedrich - Production, Vocals, Lyrics
Website
http://www.solarfake.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/solarfake
Track Review
01. Hiding Memories from the Sun - 4:11
We’re hiding our memories from the sun because they would be almost unbearable if they would ever see the light of day. Memories of a loss. But one day we’ll have to face them, cope with them. Tear down the walls inside our head that locked them away for so long. A calm and moody song starts the album. Atmospheric synth layers are combined with slow rhythmic patterns and sequences. Sven’s melancholic and emotive chant does the rest to carry you away immediately.
02. Stigmata Rain - 4:37
This is a song that’s pending between two pretty different emotional states. After a small synth sequence that doesn’t give away anything about the song in advance, a balladry structures welcomes you to the song and you think “Ok, another ballad I can live with that”. A halting beat, dark synth layers and even some guitar (synth) sounds appear in it. When you least expect it the whole mood turns inside out and the song turns into an angry sounding breaker with much more club compatible beats, driving sequences and distorted vocals.
03. (You think you're) Radical - 3:36
As the song title already indicates pretty good, the song comes in a more industrial sounding shape, having much more punch in the drum arrangement than the songs before, which is a good requirement for use in the club and I guess the song will work out quite well on that purpose even though the drums are not programmed that simple. The overall mood is very angry what also reflects itself in the vocals, heavily processed with distortion.
04. The Shield - 3:48
You built up a shield around yourself to block out everything, so you can live on in your isolation and cling to the illusion that everything’s still alright but with time the shield became weaker and weaker and some things from the outside passed through that scrape on your self-image. Imagine what happens if the shield’s gone forever and you have to face the brutal truth. The first sounds reminding me a bit of the sonar of a submarine. Right after the merging of a reversed melodic sample a club compatible but not so lush beat starts. A flute like sound leads us to the chant which is although it is processed clearly understandable which isn’t always the case with distorted vocals.
05. Creep - 3:45
Do you know the feeling to be drawn to someone probably unreachable to you? She’s that shining star that lights up the night. Everyone loves her. But you... you don’t belong to her world cause you’re an outsider...a creep and nothing special but you’re not willing to give up the thought that it could happen someday, that you’re able to enter her world and finally be together with her. You might know the original version from this song from Radiohead which was released in the early 1990s and became a big hit. Sven completely synthesized the song and there’s no pat in it that’s organic even though I couldn’t believe that when I heard it for the first time. After the first passage which is embedded into a quite calm arrangement with some melodic synths accentuating the chant, comes the breakout with very organic sounding drum parts and processed vocals just to disappear again to lead you back to the melancholy from before.
06. Here I stand - 5:29
From the very beginning and with the first tunes, this song creates a certain mood that gets clearer as more elements and sounds appear. It is sadness but also a small amount of hope. If you listen to the lyrics, they create scenery in front of your mind’s eye. A man standing at a bed in a hospital in which a woman lies. She lies in coma and every time he looks at her, there’s the hope that she would suddenly open her eyes and everything would be fine again. But it didn’t happen and so he looses himself in memories, while holding her hand looking so pale and lifeless. The beats used in the song are quite danceable but u guess it wasn’t intended for the clubs. It is a track to create emotions, a song to carefully listen to it.
07. I keep my eyes shut - 5:05
Unusually hard and pumping, this song sounds out of the speakers and is the exact opposite of the previous song. During the verses, the vocals are alienated in a way that is not my cup of tea. As much as I prefer variation in the vocals, but in this case I have to say that I would have liked it much more if clean vocals would have been used. This robotic effect takes away a lot of distinction of Sven’s voice. But that’s just my opinion and other people will probably like it anyway. Apart from that fact, it’s a really neat club song.
08. Hero & Conqueror - 4:29
You left everything behind for a new life, a better one in your eyes. It promised you fame and you got the possibility to travel the world so you left me behind without even caring about my feelings but its like always. After a rise there’s surely a fall and now you’re coming back. Begging for help and a way back to your old life but that’ll never happen. I have no feelings for you anymore... Here is it again, the clean voice I like so much. The song has the right balance between club-compatibility on one side and the emotional, sometimes melancholic part represented by the chant. I haven’t noticed any synth layers here but the voice delivers more than enough atmosphere.
09. Lies - 4:18
Lies! It is such a small word but can have a large impact on someone’s life which is mostly negative. The thing with lies is you can make believe yourself that it’s ok as long as no one gets aware of it but every time you lie to someone you betray his or her trust in you and trust is a precious thing. Once you lost it you might not regain it again... This is again a song that plays with the combination of two moods that couldn’t be more different: Melancholy and anger. While the voice radiates this melancholy during the verses which are also underlined by gentle melancholic synth layers, it is the chorus again that changes everything. You can call it a counterpart using distorted effects on the voice strengthening the feeling of anger.
10. Sometimes - 4:02
There already have been some songs that match the criteria melancholic yet danceable but to be honest I can’t get enough of that kind of songs and so I like this on too if course. Those pulsating synths and danceable beats combined with some spherical layers and on top of that the emotional chant of Sven. Perfect!!!
11. Your Hell is here - 5:03
It is again the lyrics that create certain scenery in your mind even if you just read them without listening to the particular track. Here I see a person sitting at a table and looking at the blank page of a diary. It is the diary of the persons life and the fact that it’s blank maybe symbolizes that his/her life was empty at least this person did nothing anyone would remember. The moment when you realize in hindsight that your life was wasted to this point must be the true hell... Maybe it’s time for a change now? ‘Your Hell is here’ is one of my absolute favourites on the alum and it still touches me at every listen. From the first piano chords that starts it, and on with the synth layers and gentle drum sounds. A wonderful ballad!
12. I can't remember - 4:02
The lyrics almost seem like a continuation of where I left off with my interpretation of the last song telling a tale of someone on the edge to a new start not knowing what it might bring. Will it be a good one or will it get even word. Like someone who standing at the crossroads of his life. Again a very slow song but it features a heavy punch that doesn’t fit into the overall melancholic basic mood of the song in my opinion. Sven uses a more deep and voluminous vocal style with a barely audible processing making it sound a little bit dull.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8
Conclusion
Some songs on the album like ‘Stigmata Rain’ just to name one play with the extremes by combining two different moods. At first you think it’s kind of a melancholic tune but then SOLAR FAKE surprises you with a harsh break turning the song into the opposing direction but that is a thing that really brings diversion into the game. To surprise the listeners, to hit them off guard with something they don’t expect. ‘(You think you’re) Radical’ is a native Industrial stomper that I had not expected from Sven. Emotional and melancholic songs alternate with more aggressive tunes so the album will appeal to a variety of listeners .What I’d like to hear for the next album is a bit more experimenting with some more unusual sound structures but for now this one’s really a solid debut containing many surprises.
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