Bambounou At Juno Download

Review: First debuted on a recent Sound Pellegrino podcast, Bambounou's "Alpha" has been hotly anticipated for a while now, and it's definitely been worth the wait. The French producer and Youngunz star loads some compressed kicks and heavy-gliding synths into the mix on "Alpha", while "Dock Request" rides an ever-changing bass arpeggio and some brilliantly disjointed drum patterns. "Heroic Requests" brings out a heavily nocturnal, stripped-down Detroit sound into play and "Divided By Zero" rounds off the EP with a dubby, ghost-house rouser that's simply gripping and hugely addictive. This release comes replete with mixes of all four tunes from Teeth, Lunice, Darling Farah & Ikonika.

Review: Rocking up to his regular home at 50 Weapons, Bambounou brings yet more of his playful, experimental bass music to bear with this rock solid three tracker. There's a great focus on wild, disorientating noises hammered into solid rhythms, whether it's the metallic swirls that slop around the insides of "Filled", or the jerky tap drips that inject the funk into "Brim". Aside from the spicy sounds, there's also plenty to hold onto, not least with the whopping great chord stabs that also inhabit "Brim". Having said that, "Boarder" is more intent on plunging you into a bizarre soundworld of bold VHS synth drones and snaking percussion that seems intent on dodging the groove at all costs.

Review: Making the leap to ClekClekBoom Recordings after emerging through Sound Pellegrino, Bambounou is fast making a name for himself with a raw take on garage dynamics that pares the two-step down to bare elements that smack hard, especially on the huge, string-drenched pressure of "Night". "Brawl" meanwhile gets a touch more hectic in the jagged groove and manic vocal chops, although the subtle synth touches cool off the oddball madness just enough. For all the primal production values, Bambounou clearly knows how to execute ideas with a maturity that belies his experience to date.