People who read my reviews will already know my fondness for the word soundscape; I know I should be more adventurous in my word choices but sometimes there is a perfect word for the job. And soundscape is the perfect word to describe the new release from Boston EDM pioneer Basseah. Given that the musical building blocks of the genre are tried and tested, that it is a very well travelled route in the modern era, you might be wondering where there is new to take the music, if there are any new pastures to explore, any forgotten side roads to wander. Basseah proves that indeed there are.
Mineral Rave, a new four track outing, contains many of the familiar elements as you would expect, the hypnotic beats and dynamic changes, spiralling crescendos and tension releasing breaks, but it is what else he brings to the table that is the real charm of the music.
Below the smooth synth lines that glide across the surface of the music and above the beat-structure that gives the music its infectious and driving bass, Basseah proves an expert at building glitchy, state of the art, electronic psychedelia to hold the two together. Trip-hop stutters, dubstep rhythms, euphoric trance and even a few ambient techno elements all combine to create this neo-psychedelia, this eclectic-electric dreamscape, this modern view of the psyched out, acid fuelled hippy dream.
Unlike much music in the same field, there is real depth to the composition here, clever layering of sounds and blending of musical textures. It is both backward referencing and forward thinking, it knows where it comes from but more importantly it knows where it is going and I don’t think that you can ask for much more from music?
Listen to Mineral Rave here.
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