Julien Bracht : Now Forever One Review

By Elberton Cisnero

Julien Bracht is making the best of seclusion during CV19 as he conjures powerful sounds in his studio. Bracht is a lifelong drummer that released his first three EPs within one year of first being signed in 2011-12. In 2015, he created the band Lea Porcelain with Markus Nikolaus in London, and together they released their hypnotic post-rock debut in 2017, Hymns to the Night. Lea Porcelain jumped onto the international stage with dates on several major festivals around Europe, including the Leeds/Reading Festival, Great Escape Brighton and Latitude. Bracht has maintained a steady output as a solo artist, and his constituency of including live drums in his live sets has gained him recognition and slots on the global tour circuit. Bracht is now releasing his album Now Forever One. The twelve songs stem from techno djing while exploring many textures and timbres.

“Melancholia” builds an increasingly sophisticated texture through a functional song structure. The hypnotic pulse segues to momentary melodic nodes of percolating motifs that build back to a multilayered tapestry of sounds. The flow glides in large arches to create its musical meaning and is crucial for Bracht’s song forming process and themes. “The intention in my music is to strengthen people’s awareness and minds… I want us all to gather in spirit and stick together,” says Bracht.

“Dreams of Euphoria” is a prime example of Bracht’s pulsing basslines and drumming skills. The song takes the listener through an emotional arch with an emphasis on deep grooves and contagious beats. One can easily imagine the heaving techno floors as an idealistic environment for this song to unfold upon. The polyrhythmic textures and play of tempo build energy under the synth melodies, and the overall effect is one of triumphant and exploratory sonic textures.

Bracht’s latest release, Now Forever One, is a robust musical statement that shows Bracht is on a magical trajectory of discovery and creativity. The songs have many textures, forms, and densities, but the common thread is Bracht’s love and understanding of rhythm. That common rhythmic thread is a thriving lifeline through our expedition into the techno realm of wonder and textures.

5 Finger Review Rating!

Artist:    Julien Bracht

Buy on Amazon

Label:    System Records

Release Date: July 30, 2021

About the author

Elberton Cisnero

Author