It is perhaps bold to try to evoke imagery of forests, wilderness, and the stealthy predatorial nature of a lone wolf using distorted lead guitars and a synth-heavy electronic landscape, but it is also inspiring that FM-Jax somehow pulls it off on his latest single ‘Shadow Wolf’.
Based in the Danish town of Herning, Jakob Bjerre, also known as FM-Jax, is a recent introduction to the worlds of synth rock, fusion, and new wave, having dropped his debut single ‘December 2019’ only one month prior to ‘Shadow Wolf’. What Bjerre does in general is construct lush musical atmospheres using rich synths and melodic guitar leads that harken back to the 80s, taking cues from the music of the likes of Joe Satriani or Steve Vai.
On ‘Shadow Wolf’, FM-Jax is able to construct a low-flying groove that is slow and confident, filled with just enough power to be present and memorable, while sounding regal, understated, and quite elegant. The chord structure is subdued and familiar, and Bjerre’s keyboard solo is earth-shatteringly good, while his guitar is sporting a heavenly tone that’s distorted and piercing, perfectly complementing his melodic and calculated phrases.
‘Shadow Wolf’ is quite a tasteful instrumental that’s beautifully produced, with a rich, cinematic sound. A nice addition to the very good start FM-Jax is having.
