A new EP from Bambi OFS shares the virtues of eclecticism and harsh-edged charm. This record draws squarely on club music, as the closing track attests with vintage synth motifs, a squelching hint of acid, and a rapid-fire beat. The preceding tracks have tantalising touches of something more exotic. On the opening track, the beat’s hollow cadence evokes an organic essence of gamelan. It’s a surprisingly short jump from techno’s synthetic self-awareness.
The cover image (“shot by ethnomusicologist Judith Becker during a Bebuten ceremony in Bali”) again speaks a thousand words. A line is boldly drawn: from gamelan to techno; from an Indonesian trance practice to the gyrations of clubgoers. It might be heavy-handed, to use spiritual traditions as window-dressing. As a fan of both genres separately, I found the results unarguable. The third track is the highlight, where struck metallophones form a frantic, metallic foundation. On top, a more relaxed beat, booms of bass, and squawks of synth summon a kind of hyper-industrial mirage.
Of course, clubs and abandoned warehouses are not the only places to dance. Beats are as ancient as drumskins, and the urge to dance around primordial fires is elemental. Dancing alone in your pyjamas and headphones is good exercise too. This record come highly recommended as soundtrack to whatever stage of isolation you might be enjoying.
Samuel Rogers – A Closer Listen