"Awaiting PM/Fractal" combines two of Rofalski’s previously released EPs. The first was created whilst his partner was pregnant, with the album title referring to the placeholder name ‘Peter-Miguel’, which the couple used before the birth of their first child. The album comprises seven tracks, each named after a day of the week.
Using a Yamaha grand piano and an Akai MPC 2000 sampler – which Rofalski had bought as a teenager – he captures the nervous anticipation of that time. The melodies consist mostly of fragments – individual chords or short motifs that hang thoughtfully in the air – surrounded by erratic rhythms, bursts of digital chatter, and the pulse and static of ultrasound. The sound is enveloping, like a womb, and has an intimate quality that feels like a glimpse into a private moment.
Perhaps the clearest insight into Rofalski’s unique musical alchemy is offered by the EP “Fractal”. Born out of intensive studio sessions, these recordings subject the resonant tones of a grand piano to extensive processing, looping and resampling. The result is tense, noir-like and rhythmic, in the intricate sense of IDM. “Perpetuum”, featuring rhythms by Dutch percussionist Felix Schlarmann, conjures up an Aphex-like blend of prepared piano, metallic percussion and a menacing bass line, whilst the striking track “Fractal Waves” shows Rofalski looping his melodies into ever-more-intense spirals, whilst crackling textures of noise begin to seep in from the edges.