Les Fradkin – Mr. Midi Guitar – Album Review

When California frontman and multi-instrumentalist Les Fradkin sent us a link to his album, Mr. Midi Guitar, we were stunned to discover that this record first hit Bandcamp all the way back in 2018! But this is one musical experience well worth digging through Les Fradkin’s extensive back catalogue for, completely breaking the mold we know and adore from this prolific artist, and revealing a wholly different side to the songwriter.

This isn’t your usual rock/pop album by a long shot. Rather than scoring an album of pure-bred originals, Les Fradkin dabbles in the antique tones of Baroque and Classical music, lifting elements from history’s greatest hits, whilst revamping them into exquisite rock arrangements.

Now, Les Fradkin admits that he’s a bit of a pioneer of the Ztar MIDI Guitar. Lost in the lingo? This simply means that, instead of playing a usual stringed guitar, Les Fradkin’s Ztar fretboard features a series of buttons, which, when triggered, can play practically any sound under the sun – guitar-like or not – all personally loaded into this rare, electronic instrument.

It’s the ultimate vessel for musical experimentation, as Les Fradkin demonstrates through the entirety of Mr. Midi Guitar. And, we have to give a firm shout-out to Les for braving to execute one truly unconventional idea: merging the realms of organic orchestral music with cutting-edge electronicism and instruments unknown to the world into which these legendary pieces were first born. It’s the leap forward we’re all craving, and Les pulls it off perfectly.

It all begins with “Lift Off,” a track capturing the eclectic sounds of a spaceship zooming through the cosmos; a hectic and mind-meltingly colourful piece that hides hints of Classical and Baroque within its hyperactive rock progression. The word ‘unworldly’ hardly cuts it – this piece feels supersonic, as lightning-speed as spaceflight, whilst verging on heavy metal through its staggeringly complex riffs.

“Presto Changeo” kicks off like a 90s/00s futiger aero soundscape, soon carved by plush and warm guitar solos that scream 80s metal, and derailing into a crazed arpeggio as kaleidoscopic as any psychedelic rock band.

“Canon In D” remixes the Pachelbel classic with electronic quirks and explosive distortions, morphing the calm, original ballad-like piece into an upbeat work of pop-rock, slathered with technicolour synth solos whilst hiding strings within its watertight mix. Didn’t think you could dance to classical music? Leave it to Mr. Midi Guitar himself to prove us all wrong!

The chaos of “Sabre Dance” is like sinking into a strange dream. Another legendary riff finds a new lease of life beneath Les Fradkin’s motley crew of instrumentation, speeding up the original piece so that it could easily soundtrack a cartoon car chase; its synth tones, guitar solos and melodies serving a bright and nostalgic Ghostbusters-meets-Simpsons edge.

Vivaldi’s monumental movement, “Summer,” taken from “Four Seasons,” becomes a pixellated masterpiece, restyled as if it was composed to soundtrack a retro video game with its wildly erratic twists and turns. To transform this piece into a true rock arrangement, Les Fradkin even lays a drum beat beneath the originally soft track, amplifying its energy whilst retaining each intricate, interwoven melody of Vivaldi’s composition.

This record isn’t all covers, however. Throughout the mix, Les Fradkin slots his own original ideas into the centuries-old classics, totally transforming them for us modern listeners.

Bach’s Dracula-like Fugue is reinvented as Les removes the gothic organ and re-serves the piece on a Gary Numan-style synth, crafting the album’s longest track. He even adds backing vocals into the mix, a crashing drum beat which magnifies the Fugue’s innate terror to feel like a chase between predator and prey, before sliding into brief electric guitar solos which emanate a solid Led Zeppelin vibe.

Les Fradkin cites “Ode To Joy” as one of his personal favourites off the record, telling us, “it shows the Ztar in a rock context.” And we couldn’t agree more. Les’ Starr Labs Ztar MIDI Guitar takes centre stage on this piece, backed by what sounds like a full rock band, turning this classic into a party rock anthem.

It’s rare for instrumental records to feel this exciting, yet Les Fradkin nails his vision flawlessly, proving that classical music has and always will be awesome, if only we stay open to its boundless creative potential.

Our final verdict? Recommended.

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BELOW: Listen to Les Fradkin and check out his music on Bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube Music and more. Please support Les Fradkin by visiting his website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.