Who Are Fractal?

We're just a group of guys who like making weird music. We like playing all sorts of stuff, but have a tendency towards ambient loops with layers on top, and/or mathematically challenging, some would say anal, time signatures. Fractal seemed a sensible name, implying patterns with repetition, yet intricate detail through recursion. Hopefully like our music. We don't however take this, or indeed ourselves, too seriously. We just like to see what we can come up with and have fun. If others like it too then all the better. If not, well...... we don't expect to make a living at this! Some would say that this is a good thing. Otherwise starvation would be beckoning. Others might prefer us to try, again because starvation beckons!

We first got together in Nov 2000, thanks to a friend, Adrian Cockcroft , who helped me (me being Paul , the drummer) find the other chaps. Having moved to the Bay Area and having had to leave my band in the UK behind, I was keen to find some people who were interested in forming a new band.

My earlier, failed, attempts at finding potential partners in crime, involved looking in the local music stores for adverts. This resulted in no musical contacts, although as a result of feeling depressed and going upstairs at the San Jose Guitar Centre, I ended up with a Roland V-Drum kit. Ooops! At least I could now make lots of interesting noises and choose to not make myself unpopular with the neighbours.

Next I asked at the venues I frequented. I remember asking a host at a blues jam night at JJ's Blues, just opposite the Guitar Centre, where I could find potential conspiritors. He asked what type of stuff I was into. I said " King Crimson , Yes , Genesis , Gong , Hawkwind , Zappa ...". He just laughed and suggested I forget about it.

So Adrian came to the rescue.

Adrian likes King Crimson, and had subscribed to Elephant Talk , that strange collective of Crim obsessed beings. He posted a request, on my bahalf, for musicians to jam or form a band with, obviously with some Crimson influences.  Nic and Jim were the first two to reply, and strangely enough the three of us have been together since then. I have to admit that it was more than a little fortuitous that the first two replies have resulted in such a good fit.

We started gigging in the summer of 2001 amd have continued intermittently ever since.

Our first CD, entitled "Continuum" was released in November 2003, to positive reviews.  Please go to the shop to purchase one online.  Of course some of the reviews stress our musical likeness to one of our main influences.  We like to think of ourselves as being inspired by King Crimson and compelled to explore some similar musical landscapes.   At least as a starting point.  Look for new directions as we move forward...

...as a four piece!

In March 2004 we were delighted to be joined by Josh Friedman, who responded to one of our online advertisements for additional musical explorers.  Josh comes with a great background, bringing talent and musicianship in abundance, as well as his voice, a great sense of humour and some new musical ideas and directions.   2004 should be a vintage Fractal year as we explore brand new compositions, as well as new arrangements of existing material.