TOTW: Datassette_Nowhere

“VOID FILL PRODUCT” Is the new abum by Datassette, who has stunned me for many years with his sound design and unique programming.

In his liner notes, he describes the process of making the album as “one-shot stereo recordings of hardware jams,” which were then refined into finished works. This tried and tested technique has been used effectively through the history of electronic music, right back to its experimental routes. It serves well Datassette’s natural talent for finding great melodies and interesting sounds.

“Nowhere” is a track reminiscent of one of my favorite albums “selected ambient works 85-92,” with its lo-fi recordings and stripped down instrumentation that play around with a single theme throughout its playtime. It’s a sound I love, and Datassette adds his own flair to it with a wonky bass melody, iconic of his compositional techniques. This makes ”Nowhere” a shoe in for my track of the week and an easy one to recommend to any fans of the genre:

Bandcamp:

TOTW: Datassette_Cagney XOR Lacey, Pt.1

Datassette have a sonic aesthetic that I love and it’s exemplified on this track.

Cagney XOR Lacey Pt.1 has some lovely textures that weave in and out of the track, driven with a down tempo drumbeat. The complexity of the track is derived by the lead and bass parts which take it in turn to bounce their way into the foreground whilst large wide pads fill the background with glorious lush textures that spread across the stereo field, warping between instrumentation and reverb tails.

This all works because the production of the track perfectly accentuates the most important elements of the mix throughout its play time whilst giving the kick drum plenty of room to really drive the piece forward:

Youtube:

Spotify:

Spotify TOTW Playlist:

TOTW: Datassette_ Fever Dream (2010)

I have been going to Bandcamp allot recently for music and was exited to see Datassette had released a new album last month.

The album entitled OFFAL is a collection of offcuts and raritys from the past 15 years but don’t let this dissuade you because there is some real gold in there.

The second track entitled Fever Dream (2010) is a perfect example of this. The track doesn’t overcomplicate things keeping the main melody to a single rhythmic bass line but what a bass line it is. Powerful, gritty and driving as it gets filtered through the sound spectrum it packs one hell of a punch and is backed up with brilliant percussion and pad sounds to make something brooding and exiting:

TOTW:datassette_Power Ballad

I received a recommendation about Datassette from Disasterpeace’s bandcamp page and recommended the first track from their album people without mouths on a previous TOTW.

Over time this album has been a grower and out of the 7 tracks Power Ballad really stands out. It has a bouncy synth bass line and plucky guitar that’s always been a favourite of mine but when the FM synth chords come in at the 1:50 mark it really gets going.

This blend of organic instrumentation and electronic lines that slowly drift in and out of tune has always been a fascination of mine and something I aim to recreate in my own music. Datassette manage to do a cracking job of it here:

TOTW: Datassette_Videohorse

This week I have been working my way through bandcamp looking for stuff. The recommendation feature once you buy some music, is a great way to find new stuff and spend more money.

I was recommended Datassette after buying the FEZ album by Disasterpeace and although that music is fantastic and I’m sure will feature in a future Track Of The Week I have been listening to the Datassette album more.

“People without mouths” has some really good pieces of electronica with these fidgety lead synth lines that make me come back for repeat listens, videohorse is a perfect example: