Behind this worrying moniker hides Ben Milstein, a promising electro artist coming from the West coast of the United States. Based in Los Angeles, this author of a pair of 12'' on Outside Recordings ("Hyde/Away EP "and" Procrastinate EP") and of a live CD published by e.l.m makes a remarkable entry on Andrea Parker's English label. Developing an apocalyptic and corrosive music made of sound distortions, American delivers here a gritty 12'' without compromise any. A side begins with "Dryer", a gloomy piece combining filtered loops and space strings. "Meld" goes on into icy and industrial depths à la Carl Finlow, the roughness of bass moreover. No doubt a title charged but with undeniable aesthetic which finds its opposite on the flip with "Ritual", a complex and subtle beauty raised by discrete melodies. To finish, the compatriot Logreybeam alias Gabriel Morley, heard on structures such as Merck and Delikatessen, comes to offer a formidable rebuild of "Formfollowsfunction", in an extremely by the way abstract electronica register. An output not to be missed which offers Touchin' Bass the opportunity to open its artistic line to new syncopated horizons.
www.elmconceptions.com
Nexus 6, 02/12/2004