FRANK MARK ARTS

»HEX« is the first collaboration between Roman Leykam, Frank Mark and Frank Meyer. It celebrates spherical abstractions and aesthetic sound scapes. By and by the listener discovers sophisticated textures and is led layer by layer deeper into the realm of the headstrong music. The entrance to varied musical dimensions.

Tracks:
1.sly 7:13, 2.place of refuge 5:55, 3.bracing 6:10, 4.figments of the imagination 9:24, 5.the function of dreaming 7:45, 6.the invisible bound 8:27, 7.transient world 6:34, 8.dead room 5:51, 9.fen fires 7:06;

Recorded and mixed between 2012/2014 in the studios of Roman Leykam, Frank Mark and Frank Meyer.
Mastered 2014 in the studio of Frank Meyer.
Painting by Joshua Leykam at the age of six.
Photos by Roman Leykam.
Artwork by Frank Meyer and Roman Leykam.
4-sided Digipak

Roman Leykam: electric guitars, guitar synths, guitar treatments, guitar drum loops.
Frank Meyer: synths, sound collages, electric guitars, electric bass.
Frank Mark: samples, programming.

... With the exception of some moments, most of tracks on "HEX" are quite simple from the compositional or melodic viewpoint, but the strong point of the explorations by this trio, which orbits around a mixture of cosmic Schultze-like sonorities, ethnic nuances, diluted Pink Floyd-ian space-rock, jazzy inserts and new age sonic entities - including voices of cetaceans -, is the panache of the sounds they melt as well as the refinement of many arabesques, which fully counterbalance some excessively static or predictable stuff ("Place of Refuge", "The Invisible Bound") and provides some good moments for angry eardrums such as the wisely titled "Figments of the Imagination", "Fen Fires" and "Transient World", whose simple looped melodies and general atmosphere reminded to me some stuff by first Zero 7's outputs besides above-mentioned similarities. Will it be enough to keep evil spirits away? Rate: *** / Vito Camarretta. (CHAIN D.L.K. Oct 2015)

... HEX reveals a true passion for sounds and noises. The composition is more based upon the decomposition of sounds played by guitar, bass and synths to manipulate them by studio effects to create something new. It results in a rather abstract and definitely experimental way, but Hex is an accessible album. The trio took care to compose slow rhythms, which have been mixed with different influences like jazz, tribal- and mainly psychedelic elements. Some passion for Pink Floyd is not really a surprise, but HEX sounds totally different although based upon multiple psychedelic ingredients mainly created by guitar parts. Some of the songs are a little less cinematographic as well and I mainly refer to Figments Of The Imagination, which is a rather appropriated title. This cut also reveals impressive sound manipulations. Another cinematographic-orientated passage comes through on Bracing, which I also like for the mix of lounge- and dub influences. But the psychedelic input remains the most important. I have a little preference for songs like, The Function Of Dreaming and Dead Room.
Conclusion: HEX sounds like the offspring between psychedelic music and pure experimentation. It's pretty minimal and abstract, but still pretty accessible in sound. Best songs: Figments Of The Imagination, Dead Room, The Function Of Dreaming. Rate: (DP:7)DP. (SIDE-LINE music magazine Aug 2015)

... arcs of suspense are created permanently, burst into jazz-structures and slow down at brutal cristal groove-wavebreakers. When pace accelerates, mysterious surprising electronica-vibes cool down terrific the flow of HEX and next guitar-riffs or even cool funk-breaks occur grandiose but disappear in spheric secretiveness - a really disruptive mixture, which in spite of all oddities and 180-degree turns never loses structure and tidy jazz-attitude. It reminds more of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brian Eno or Tangerine Dream than of Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Co. ... The instrumental album HEX by Leykam Mark Meyer is despite of its complex construction occasionally a pleasing exciting seemingly audiobook, which doesn't need words to encourage your own movie in your head; only music can do that. Bravo. (Gregor Poschoreck / SOULTRAINonline.de Aug 2015, Nr.77)

Electronic body ambient mind music of a peculiar way the trio has recorded at their 9-tracks journey HEX. The listener makes the acquaintance of unusual sounds, spheric sound-sculptures, nervous beats and sophisticated rhythmn-configurations. Tracks like Place Of Refuge invites to dream and relaxing. At the more than 6-minutes Bracing in contrast exciting and inspiring soundscapes occur with a tidy bass basis. An adventurous Kraut-Dub-Synth-Guitar-Ambient for an endless loop in your CD-player. 5 stars. (Rainer Guérich / inMusic Juni/Juli 2015, No.89

... presented in the digital Jazz-Zeitung 06/2015 by Joachim Holzt-Edelhagen.