Refraction: Debut Release December - New Track Streaming (1 Viewer)

[Vadge]

Hope this is the right section, please move if not...

We will release our full-length debut on CD between now and December.
It was recorded and mixed in Data Studios with Ross O'Donovan and mastered by Darrell in Komodo. Its comprised of 6 'phases' :

Light Fades
Into Nothing
Until We Reach
The Final Shadow
Mortal
Diaspora

Into Nothing is streaming on myspace and facebook now. The physical release is expected to be out hopefully by the start of December. Chairs!

www.myspace.com/refractiononline
www.facebook.com/refractiononline
contact: [email protected]

 

[Vadge]

Ahem....we have added another track, just in case anyone at all may be interested, thanks

 

[Vadge]

CDs arrived and are available for purchase for anyone interested

They are €8 (plus postage internationally)

Format is 4-Panel Digipak with gloss finish

Purchase can be made through bigcartel

http://refraction.bigcartel.com/

Thanks for any interest

 

[Vadge]

First review on Drop-D

This may be the debut album from Dublin’s instrumental outfit Refraction but they have been in existence since 2007, and since that time have been stoutly threatening to deliver a work of deft, august scale. After various demo recordings on myspace and the like, and some strong live showings, that threat has very much become a staggering reality. That reality is this self titled effort.

Refraction is drenched with dizzying peaks and troughs and many, many neck craning crescendos. Divided into six “phases”, the six tracks are each offering its own unique climax. However, there is still a vibe and theme maintained throughout that creates some fluency so never once does the record sound disjointed.

Light Fades comes avalanching in with a pulsating intro and Into Nothing is heaving with lush riffing which culminates in an unfathomably vast climax. It’s then followed by the absurdly infectious opening of Until We Reach, and once again scales an unruly and crushing height. The first three tracks of this album lay down an almighty gauntlet and the subsequent “phases” uphold, with ease, the soaring vibe.

Throughout Refraction, there are serene reprieves interspersed, mellowed and cerebral passages that act merely as breathers until the next melee of riffs and obdurate drumming encroach. The duality of the two elements, the serene and severe, is the album’s greatest strength.

The production is crucial here to its delivery. It’s expansive and spacious and the clarity of each instrument is more than testament to this and gives the layered sound the justice it deserves. As a result, there’s a foreboding aura for Refraction’s entirety.

It’s heard with Mortal’s lead guitar work, which, succeeding the broody bass is stunning. The smooth leads weave grippingly through each other and the striking fret work continues into Diaspora, beginning with ominous walls of sound only to fizzle away to a sombre, swirling refrain that gracefully dies out, thus bringing an end to the record. Once again, Diaspora’s uncoiling is a solemn respite that allows the entire record to soak in, as silence approaches.

It could very well have been taken for granted that Refraction would drop an impressive album but nothing quite like this, a blissfully effusive record, and a debut no less.

Drop-d Rating: 8.5/10

 

[xsteox]

Cheers for the cd, t'other night. It's fantastic, been playing it none-stop in work

 

[Vadge]

Nice one Steo

More spam:

From swearimnotpaul

Instrumental Dublin four-piece Refraction have just released their self-titled debut through Big Cartel, and reminds me of a vocal-less Alcest. The six songs on the record are nicely textured, and shows that the band were right to work out all the kinks and nuances for the past four years before finally getting around to releasing this polished debut.

The songs themselves are long ones, amounting to 45 minutes total for just six tracks. That said, the album has a cohesive flow from start to finish which makes this all one drawn-out post-metal suite rather than a collection of trashing metal tunes. The song structures are elaborate, and seem almost build for expansion in a live setting. The guitar lines here are smooth and fully audible, with the rhythm section (particularly the bass) keeping things under control, and guiding it all along.

As I said earlier, it’s more a complete work than individual tracks, so it’s hard to highlight where Refraction succeed and fail. ‘Light Fades’, ‘Until We Reach’, and ‘Into Nothing’ contain the best sections, the most urgent, the most melodic pieces, but unfortunately the album is let down by a lack of variety. Technically superb, it just isn’t diverse enough. There needs to be more emphasis on individual songcraft rather than overall soundscapes if Refraction really want to make a great album. That said, what’s here is pretty decent.

From wearenoise

Refraction – Refraction (Self-release)
‘Refraction’ is the eponymous debut by the four-piece instrumental outfit from Dublin. It’s a heavy string of dreamlike ebbs and flows, with a bleak melodic style of its own.
Produced at DATA in Kerry, the guitars, snare and cymbals are crisp and powerful, with amazing tone in the lower-end that seems to be so often lacking in this type of thing. Arranged into 6 separate but not entirely jarring sections, the splash of opener ‘Light Fades’ meets you mid-climax and proceeds to set the tone, advancing slowly upwards towards a tense progression and back down again.

‘Until We Reach’ is a great example of the understated power of Refraction – managing to melt hooks and grinding dissonance together into some sort of upbeat, yet still horribly depressing cocktail. The guitar and bass move in their own direction, often totally independent of each other, and sometimes can be found creating polyrhythms on top of the drums.

There is a definite feeling of planning and cohesion to this – like each section was a fully-formed concept entirely before anyone played a note or picked up a stick.

If you enjoy Isis, Slint or Neurosis you should line this up, but be warned – it takes time to grapple with and you shouldn’t expect cheap thrills and instant gratification. This one would rather you met its family first, but rest assured, it will eventually put on a cape and ride you on the roof of the house.

 

[Vadge]

This album can now be downloaded for free


http://refraction.bandcamp.com/