Basic Mind's Grotto catalyses some of the great innovations of both Continental and Atlantic analogue techno; 80s formalism, late Drexciyan funk, darkroom acid; and indeed is one of Australia's purest sources of that ultra-orthodox, hardware-based sound.
At the same time, its dancefloor liturgies and moments of Balearic reflection make Grotto a cryptic and salient permutation of Australian dance music values in 2016. 'Grotto' is thoroughbred Meganesian techno with a boisterous earworm bassline, recalibrating to mirage-perfect funk in the track's close.
Airborne and ruminative 'Laika' is late night Indian Ocean sea shore acid, guided over peaks and troughs with virtuosic restraint.
The Gerani remix of 'Grotto' takes that track's subsurface rave inclinations and refracts them for the warehouse, frenetic but with oceanic shimmer; in contrast, DW's 'Digital Bassline fix' deploys Chain Reaction dub chords to explore 'Laika''s low end, shining the most in its final three minutes when it settles into a fathoms-deep scuba lounge groove.'
Released July 2016
Written & produced by Tim Loughman
Mastered by Mikey Young
supported by 5 fans who also own “COSI001 - Basic Mind - Grotto EP”
If I had to describe this EP in a single character, it'd be ▒. A-side renders a neural maze of android vox to get lost in while dancing, with its unintelligible vocabulary yet comprehensible message. As it flips to B-side physically, so to does it logically. Easy on the ears and mind, decrypting steganographic scenery to mental imagery, ever shifting, every movement an appreciation of the moment. A by-product borne from the appreciation of patterns shared in nature and technology. DJ Home Movies
Featuring 10 rising voices in North America’s dance music scene, the new comp from Rare Frequency Transmissions is a high-wattage delight. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 5, 2024
supported by 5 fans who also own “COSI001 - Basic Mind - Grotto EP”
If Bruce Springsteen ever made an album called "Born To Ambient" it would probably contain all of these tracks. Keith is just sublime, I could (and have) listened to it on loop for hours. BrianMc