Fermion – Elegaic (Album – Fermion)
Genre/Influences: Wave-Pop, Cinematographic.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: American duoAugustine Backer – Eric Shans (also involved with Phenotract) is back on track unleashing their second album one year after “We Are Nowhere”. They in the meantime accomplished a few cover versions of OMD and New Order, which also says something about their sources of inspiration.
Content: The tracklist is covering different influences, which are moving in between EBM (cf. “Colors Monochrome”) and darker Wave-Pop on New Order’s cover version of “Vanishing Point”. The sound became more evasive and Cinematographic at “Diode Glow” while the retro elements are always easy to remember, but more explicit on “White Dust”.
+ + + : The least I can say is that Fermion strives for a personal approach in sound and style. I think it works for the most Minimal-driven songs, but especially on “Colors Monochrome”, which sounds a personal interpretation of EBM. In a totally different style I also have to mention the ambient-like “Blurred Projections”, which is a well-crafted composition.
– – – : I can’t get away from the feeling there’s a kind of monotony supporting the songs and, which is also coming back in the production of the vocals. I’m missing a true passion.
Conclusion: This new opus by Fermion can’t again totally convince me, but might appeal to some retro-Electro heads.
Best songs: “Colors Monochrome”, “Blurred Projections”.
Rate: (6).
Artist: www.facebook.com/fermionofficial
About Fermion
Fermion is the New York project of Eric Shans and Augustine Backer. Shans is handling programming, songwriting, engineering, and vocals, while Backer takes care of the sound design, songwriting, additional production, and engineering. The project began after they met at a producers’ meet-up in New York City, with the collaboration formally taking shape in 2019.
Their first release was the EP “We Are Nowhere” on October 18, 2019. That was followed by the New Order cover “Vanishing Point” in December 2019 and this album, “Elegiac”, on June 19, 2020.
Fermion went on to release the OMD cover “Messages” on August 31, 2020, and the album “Hysteresis” on October 21, 2021. The duo returned in 2023 with the singles “Surveillance” and “Relapsed”, both leading into the album “Infinity Terminal”, released on October 27, 2023, and joined Re:Mission Entertainment for “Conflicted” in July 2025.
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