RETREAT by Fragment King

RETREAT is a new release by FRAGMENT KING. A contributing member of NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES and co-producer of CRITICAL VOID, a site-specific sound project with pioneering industrial percussionist Z'EV, FRAGMENT KING (or FK) is the audio recording and performance alter ego of sonic architect Mark Kammerbauer. Ever more soundtrack than song, FK's interpretation of heavy electronic music was originally inspired by the early incarnations of Autechre, Godflesh, and Scorn.

After recording the ANGEL POSITION album for ANT-ZEN affiliate MHz, the label of German electronic music luminaries KLANGSTABIL, FK returns with a new set of recordings titled RETREAT, comprising five new pieces that draw from digital beats and sounds, treated vocals and site-specific bass guitar feedback and drone sounds, recorded in Munich/Germany between 2019 and 2021.

The digital package presented here includes all 5 streamable tracks plus a sixth exclusive track, DOUBLE INFINITY II, and two remixes by 2W and SNOWBEASTS, originally commissioned by ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX, as well as a video edit of the original bass sessions for RETREAT recorded at BUNKER in 2019.

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX released an exclusive cassette tape edition with exclusive artwork and commissioned two remixes by 2W and SNOWBEASTS, which can be purchased at the ANNIHILVS Bandcamp page:
https://annihilvspowerelectronix.bandcamp.com/album/retreat

REVIEW: "Retreat gets us back to the early days of Industrial/Experimental music. Next to the 80s influences the work also features very personal input; kind of inhibited, intimate atmosphere. The work has been composed by guitar playing manipulated into Industrial sound effects with menacing sound atmospheres on top. Vocal parts accentuate a cellar-like sensation. The last song is a remix by Snowbeasts which sounds pretty different, exploring Electro-Minimalism.This album evokes to me good-old souvenirs. I got the feeling of awakening in the 80s when I discovered the enigmatic Last Few Days. The menacing, icy, atmosphere has a true impact although there also is a more intimate side running through the work. I like the visual strength of the tracks." Side-Line Reviews

REVIEW: "The cassette 'Retreat', sent to us in the same package, was released in august 2021 an Annihilvs Power Electronix; The label is from Lee (Leech / Theologian / Navicon Torture Technologies / etc.). A nicely packaged 5-track cassette with material Fragment King created between 2019 and 2021. Five pieces that "... draw from digital beats and sounds, treated vocals and site-specific bass guitar feedback and drone sounds ..." Damn, that sort of describes my favourite track from the "Angel Position" album. The "Torch Song" has quite an aggressive approach and is in sync with the stuff on the CD. The other four tracks are more ambient/experimental. They are completely different yet 'in sync' with each other. The digital version comes with an extra Fragment King track and two remixes by 2W and SnowBeasts. And that 2W 'Labrat' remix ... Fuck, that's heavy. (BW)" Vital Weekly

Tracklist

1.	TORCH SONG	5:44

2.	RETREAT	13:42

3.	DEVOURER	6:42

4.	PALE BLUE	10:00

5.	DOUBLE INFINITY	3:23

6.	DOUBLE INFINITY II	6:00

7.	LABRAT reshaped by 2W	5:43

8.	WEAK MINDS remixed by SNOWBEASTS	5:56

Credits

released February 15, 2022

Written, produced and mixed by Fragment King/Mark Kammerbauer at White Furnace Lodge between 2019 and 2021.
Original bass guitar structures and soundscapes on RETREAT, DEVOURER and PALE BLUE recorded at BUNKER in 2019.
Original spoken words on DOUBLE INFINITY recorded at LOCUS in 2002.
Executive producer: Lee Bartow for ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX.
Mastering by Raab Codec, courtesy of ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX.
LabRat Remix (digital package only) by 2W (Thierry Arnal), courtesy of ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX.
Torch Song Remix (digital package only) by Raab Codec, courtesy of ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX.

License