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cHoclat FRoG — What's Next?
(Bandcamp no#, 2026, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-09-19

What's Next? Cover art

As it turns out, what’s next from the German duo cHoclat FRoG is What’s Next? a set of eight tracks that expands their sound even further from their beginnings. Father (Rainer Ludwig) and son (Tim Ludwig) once again handle all the instruments and nearly all the vocals in this complex and varied music, ranging from crushing Crimsonesque dissonant math to contemplative electric piano. Rainer’s contributions focus on drums and keyboards, while Tim is on bass, guitar, and keyboards, and they do a remarkable job of making it sound like a whole band is playing together rather than the piece-by-piece construction it must be. These Ludwigs have a great talent for presenting their complexities in ways that are not off-putting to listeners. I suppose if St Vincent is your idea of too experimental to enjoy, then cHoclat FRoG is probably a couple of bridges too far to cross, but most listeners of progressive rock or math rock will find plenty to relate to. A track like “Dangerous Ignorance” brings together a quirky beat in ¾ with an erratic but catchy bassline and keyboard parts from organ and electric piano that act as a kind of sonic glue. Combine this with vocals, both spoken and sung, and then throw in other sections that venture into other meters and indulge in a bit of tricky stop-start action, and you’ve got a real winner. “Cruel Ballad” includes acoustic guitar and piano arpeggios and a wiggly synth melody that vaguely evokes early-70s Genesis, but the bass part takes it in a different direction, as do the guitar solo and the… kazoo(!). What’s Next? is a fascinating and diverse album that both answers its title question and raises other questions about what this talented duo can accomplish.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): cHoclat FRoG

More info
http://choclatfrog.bandcamp.com/album/whats-next-2

 

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