FM Experiment Unveil ‘Fly,’ A Hypnotic New Chapter from Concept Album Icarus
- Dave Bedford
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
International jazz-tronica trio FM Experiment have released their latest single, “Fly,” an intense and reflective offering from their forthcoming conceptual album Icarus. Blending live improvisation with immersive electronic textures, the track showcases the group’s signature fusion of groove, experimentation, and narrative depth.
Formed at Berklee College of Music, the trio brings together French drummer and producer Flo Mavridorakis, American Grammy-winning keyboardist Warren Pettey, and Italian guitarist Francesco Stacciolli. Known for seamlessly merging jazz improvisation with funk, hip-hop, afro-beat, and electronic influences, FM Experiment craft a meticulously layered sonic world that still embraces spontaneity.
Following their debut album Shades and fully improvised beat tapes Imperfections and The Figueroa Beat Tape, the band continue to expand their creative scope with Icarus, a conceptual project exploring the duality of ambition. “Fly” marks a pivotal moment in that narrative, revisiting the myth of Icarus with a twist: what if he chose to turn back before burning his wings?
“When you look up at the sky, you might think it’s a destination, what you’ve always worked for, your most burning desire,” the band explain. “But what if the journey was actually what fulfilled you? Wouldn’t that be liberating?”
That question sits at the emotional core of “Fly.” Hypnotic rhythms pulse beneath layered synths and expressive guitar textures, while intricate drum patterns drive the track forward with a trance-like intensity. The result is both expansive and introspective, music that moves the body while inviting deeper reflection.
To enrich the project’s storytelling, the trio collaborated with poet Valerie Hill, who contributed original spoken-word pieces inspired by the album’s themes. Her recordings are woven into the music, chopped and layered to reinforce the conceptual arc. Additional production sessions refined the sonic details, with Pettey and Mavridorakis later handling mixing and mastering to maintain full creative control.
The album’s creation process mirrored its themes of spontaneity and trust. After developing the overarching concept and sonic sketches, the trio recorded the bulk of Icarus in just two days, building compositions through extended improvisation and collaborative arrangement sessions.
With “Fly,” FM Experiment deliver a striking meditation on modern ambition, burnout, and the courage to redefine success, a bold statement from a trio unafraid to blur genres, challenge mythology, and let improvisation lead the way.
