Biome - The Orcas EP

Published on 2019-01-21 00:00:00 by Sam Langley

Biome — one of Manchester’s finest bass technicians — has recently released The Orcas — a 3-track EP — as a teaser for his forthcoming 2019 album. The whole release has a tense atmosphere, characterised by rasping basslines and funky drum grooves created by this unique producer.

In the first track, ‘Take Off’, subtle pads and glitches, skitty hats, and a very catchy vocal hook build up the body. The opening bars of ‘Take Off’ had me expecting some vibey garage number, but no, after listening a bit further, it is clear that Biome has other ideas. Anarchic bass movements chuck you across the room and get you throwing gang signs. There’s some seriously wicked synth design going on this track — lots of warping, squeaky bleep madness, and techy switch-ups. ‘Take Off’ is serious dancefloor ammo to consider!
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\ \ ‘Conquer’ opens with tense synth strings and resonant bass bumps, drawing you into quick-fire, laser-like booty beats, an incessant shaker driving forward constantly. As the beat drops, garbled vocals delaying over the beat, the bass switches up into some dark shadow realm business, swapping between bumpy hits and a rich and beefy reese-line. In particular, what stands out for me are the pads and textures in the background, which constantly flutter and move like a boxer, keeping you on the edge of your toes. This one would be equally suitable for a late-night warehouse party or a sci-fi chase scene through a dystopic alien territory.\ \ In ‘Orcas’, the final track on this EP, Biome pushes the tempo with this savage dnb roller. Danchall kick patterns with counterrhythmic breaks always mix well, creating more space for grooving than your standard dnb drums. ‘Orcas’ has definitely got screwface levels of bass, as well as countless falling reeses and chunky stabs battling it out in the mix, all the while the sub duly shakes your innards.

Written by Sam Langley

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