reviews

"Frank's, "Stop the Machine", is a rich medley of
strangely intergalactic vocals, racing electronic keys
and quick analog drum crashes that hits with a
metallic slap. It's certainly robotic, yet it's
technical imperfections and strange catchiness bring
it out of the often-sterile sounding realm of
straightforward electronic music and to an entirely
different place. Somewhere between a boss level
on an Atari game and a strange future,
"Stop the Machine" hits with breakneck precision.

It's a complex track. Yet despite the fullness of,
"Stop the Machine", all of this sound - and you have
to admit, it's pretty full - is made by Frank alone.

In the world of electro-delic music, that's not
necessarily anything to write home about.
Electronic musicians pile layer of layer onto a track,
filling in every nook and cranny with sounds
and filler, and you'd be hard-pressed to find
electronic-style music that isn't full.

Thing is, it's usually all done with studio wizardry.
In Frank's case, it's quite the opposite.
Instead of relying on computers and multi-tracking,
he fires it all out on his own - and at the same time.
Frank manages to at once play keyboards and drums
while singing. He sits poised on a stool,
surrounded by his unique rig, pounding out beats,
tickling the electric ivories and singing into a mic
that looks uncomfortably placed over his shoulder.

Check out his video for "am", Frank's
admittedly more "accessible" song.

It's something that really needs to be seen
to fully appreciate.

- AP Kryza
LoacalCut.com


"One Man Mayhem:
The mysteries behind Frank Dufay's magical ability
to play keys and drums while singing are the
sort only known to vaudevillian one-man-bands and robots.
Perhaps Frank is a robot, because despite the
electronic feel to his quirky songs, he uses no loops
or samples. The biggest surprise? It sounds fantastic."

- AP Kryza
Willamette Week
Highly Recommended


". . . out of nowhere, this band started killing it
in the other room. It sounded great, so I got up
to go check them out. When I got to a place [where]
I could see, I was floored. There was only this one
guy on the stage playing drums with both feet and
his right arm, while his left arm was playing two
keyboards. Oh yeah, and he was singing. When I looked
over at my friends, Eli and Joe, they were a mixture of
joy, amazement and jealousy. (Joe was pounding his
head on the table in between cigarettes.)

The guy playing was Frank. An Oregon native
and an obvious Brian Eno fan . . . While you're
out going to Betty Ford, Tube or where-ever-else the
Mercury staff goes to do blow, Frank is in his attic;
practicing. Guys like Frank are a vital part of local music.

- Whiteteeth Photographics


" . . . The first hit I got off of Frank's four song CD
he sent me was Devo, and that is a very strong
compliment. By tracks two and three I began
hearing some of those older sounds that came
from some of the progressive Pop/Rock bands of
the late 90's. You may also feel like you are
listening to a soundtrack to a video game, but
the good video games from the Atari era.

This is interesting stuff, and it's impressive
that this is one man playing it all simultaneously . . ."

- Pacific Northwest Music Scene
(no longer online)

quotes

I am Frank:

I play the drum set, keyboards and sing
simultaneously . . . no loops, samples or
computers. I do the drums with one hand,
the keys with the other, and sing into
a mic over my shoulder.

I experiment with complex song structures
using foot-heavy beats and quirky melodies,
sometimes dipping into dissonance, but with
purpose, emotion and substance.

My lyrics reach out to the optimism and
frustration of living and reacting in the
world, while I play my best to keep
your mind gratified and your body
moving to the flavors.

history

My history as a music person: