RCRD LBL

Bomb The Bass

MusicPhotos

Location: United Kingdom

Website: http://www.bombthebass.com/

Bio: With the shrink-wrapping still cooling on copies of Future Chaos, Bomb The Bass mastermind Tim Simenon was already sketching out tracks for a new album, ... (more) and in late 2008 he headed into a São Paulo studio to work with a new collaborator: Gui Boratto, Brazil's master craftsman of deep, melodic techno, known for his records on Kompakt and Kompakt Pop, as well as a thrilling remix of Bomb the Bass' own "Black River."

"The idea came about when I heard his remix of 'Black River,' which I adored," says Simenon. "It was a very comfortable environment, very easygoing. Gui's got a small studio in his house, and I had the basic sketches drawn up a few months beforehand, so we could just work together on one computer, bouncing ideas back and forth."

The tropical environment proved fruitful. It took just two weeks to give the album its basic shape. "It just happened," says Simenon, "right from the offset, when Gui and I sat down in the studio. Even though some of the stuff he does is dark, a lot is quite uplifting. A lot of those melodies really began in that first couple of weeks in Brazil."

Back home in Amsterdam, Simenon sent the unfinished tracks to a select group of singers; New York avant-disco maven Kelley Polar and occasional Swayzak collaborator Richard Davis each tackled two songs, while The Battle of Land and Sea (Portland, Oregon singer-songwriter Sarah O'Shura) contributed one. Longtime Bomb the Bass collaborator Paul Conboy lent his deep, distinctive voice to four songs on the new album.

A final guest appearance is made by none other than Depeche Mode's Martin L. Gore, who plays synthesizers on the closing song, "Milakia." The original tapes were recorded more than a decade ago, after Simenon had produced the band's album Ultra. "It's a track I've always loved, but could never find a home for, really," he says. "It seemed like a perfect closer for this particular album."

The dusky atmosphere of the last album has given way to a more radiant sound, buoyed by waves of synthesizers and propelled by clean-lined grooves. Raising the tempo, Simenon takes inspiration from classic techno, while vocal contributions bring Bomb the Bass into newfound melodic focus. It's a brighter, more immediate sound than before; warmer, too, with the singers' voices positively glowing inside intricately woven electronic nests. But there's no lack of nuance. Every track is a delicate balance of intimate delivery and cosmic sonics, underscored by a faint sense of melancholy. (less)