Meet Mark, the Australian producer known as FRACTURES, who has been making music for almost a decade. With a sound that lies halfway between commercial pop and indie EDM, FRACTURES has been exploring different genres and experimenting with electronic dance music.
In this interview, FRACTURES shares insights into the creation of his latest singles ‘Medium’ and ‘Burnt’, his inspirations in the industry, and his dream collaborations. He also talks about his love for film photography and other hobbies outside of music. FRACTURES envisions himself in his own studio, making music at his leisure, and possibly relocating to London in the next 5 years. See how our exclusive interview went down below and connect with FRACTURES on social media platforms for more!
Hey FRACTURES! Thanks for joining us today. Please introduce yourself to our fans and to those who do not know you.
I’m Mark, an Australian producer boy with a heart of gold and a cheeky grin. Have done the Fractures thing for almost a decade, tried out a whole bunch of genres but right now I’m firmly in electronic dance land, and I like this place
How would you describe your sound? And how do you see it evolving in the future?
Halfway between commercial pop and indie EDM. I’ll dip into Burial type textures here and there, Rufus Du Sol areas on another track if the mood suits, and then some weird hybrid of everything else I’ve ever listened to on everything in between. From here I see the pop edges being worn down a bit, taking off some of the sheen but maintaining the emotion. That’ll always be there. A bit more human now that I’ve dipped my toe in computer music territory.
Who inspires you the most in the industry?
Hard to go past Fred Again… for what he’s done for the scene in such a short space. More the impact he has on people and the emotional depth of his music – that’s something I’ve always aspired to. Just connecting to people on that level.
Talk us through the creation of your latest singles ‘Medium’ and ‘Burnt’ Burnt was the first piece of the puzzle for my upcoming album.
Kind of the first time I made the decision to make an all out electronic song – four to the flour beat; arpeggio motif. All the trimmings. Funnily enough it was kind of inspired by what I thought Burning Man might be like(as the name alludes to) despite having never intended. That’s what started it, I’m sure I got lost on the way, but I showed people the instrument and they really rated it and away I went, plopping a lovely emotional vocal on it as I am so inclined to do. The vocal came amidst the first lock downs I think.
In Melbourne they were long so allowed for probably too much time to think, so it was hard not to get existential. That’s been hard to shake. Medium was just one of those sessions where I was fiddling, kind of searching for direction, I think I took inspiration from an &ME remix of a Guy Gerber tune from memory. It had this persistent, kind of hypnotic percussion in the beat that stuck with me so I started there, making my own version of however I thought that went, and then the mood was set. There was a darkness to it, and I decided I wanted to create the feeling of being submerged – for some reason everything is blue when I hear that song. So if that makes sense to you, then thanks.
What’s been a pinch-me moment in your career so far?
My first show ever probably. I had some shows planned in the early days, then had an accident where I broke my neck, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to feel grumpy and unclean for three months, so ultimately they canceled. My first show after that was nerve-wracking, but I sold it out with about two or three songs out. It wasn’t a huge crowd, necessarily, but just the fact my music made it out of my house to people that had nothing to do with me and resonated with them enough for them to make the effort to come and see me was incredibly validating.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
It’s a long list, hardly original either. The Disclosure guys were pretty instrumental in helping me with the finer points of dance production – their twitch streams were so good. Just laying it all out, so to share a room with them would be immense. Fred Again as mentioned but I’ll have to get in line for him I reckon, he’s hot property. There are too many amazing electronic producers about to list them all – I’m headed to London shortly and it’s a struggle keeping track of who I should try my luck with because quite honestly I’d be rapt with even one collab from the growing list I’ve got. TEED, Bonobo, Jacques Green, Bicep, Jasper Tygner, Tourist, that’s barely scratching the surface
Where did the name ‘FRACTURES’ come from?
Sorry to say it was just a word that made sense for the music I intended to make when I started this thing a decade back. Very little depth to it, it just kind of matched the ‘vibe’. I didn’t get a hugely positive response when I told people but that tends to spur me on because I’m an idiot, so here I am with a pseudonym I wouldn’t miss if it went away.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
In my own, bigger, better studio and house. All the gear, ALL of the ideas. Pottering away on music at my leisure, not worrying about the hustle, the grind, whatever you want to call it – just making what I want to, when I want to by myself or otherwise. Where in the world that happens might well change – right now I’m in Melbourne but London seems like a good fit for me so keep an eye out for me.
What’s your favorite thing to do outside of music?
Like most musicians, I’ve got film cameras. I’m a cliche. Kind of makes you look at things a bit differently if you think you can capture them in an interesting way. If I’d put as much time into it as I have with music, I’d probably be very good. Alas. I’ll play a video game. I’ll watch a sport. I’ll do an exercise. I’m a simple man but those things keep me going.
How do you get inspired?
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a specific surge of inspiration, or if I have I’m not sure that I’ve ever been able to capitalise on it. For me making music is work, not in a negative way, but it takes a bit of time and persistence for me to kind of ‘get going’. A lot of tweaking. Probably because more often than not I’m making an instrumental rather than writing a song. So in short, I sit down and noodle until I find something worth following through with.
Do you have any tips for producers and artists starting out in the industry?
It took me a while into my career to be more open to things with the mindset that you don’t know where they’ll lead. So I guess from that perspective I’d share that. Make ‘yes’ a more prominent response if it makes sense – even if the result is a direct win, it can open you up to a world of possibilities as the music world expands around you. And as for music itself, I’ve been lucky enough to have been exposed to such a breadth of different musical styles, so I’d encourage it. Don’t get caught up in the style you love if you can help it or you’ll might keep regurgitating it. But also I should add I have no idea what I’m talking about, so factor that in.
Finally, what’s next for FRACTURES?
More singles, a UK trip where I’m looking to make some new music and some new pals/enemies, and then of course my second album, ‘Shift’ halfway through the year, which I’ve been waiting way too long to put out. It’s kind of me testing myself out at different electronic styles, feeling my way around, and I’m really excited for people to hear it.
Listen to ‘Burnt’ on Spotify
Connect with FRACTURES
Instagram | Youtube | Soundcloud | Spotify
