Wavespan LP, released by Wavespan on the illustrious Monotonik netlabel, instantly reminded me of my favourite 90s ambient tracks - yet veers off this course quite quickly into more modern territories. What will remind you of Orb and KLF classics is the use of witty and rare vocal samples, and ambient synth sounds, with dub as the core musical influence. Despite the obvious influences, don’t be fooled into thinking Wavespan is just a simile of greater things - it’s quite simply one of the best ambient releases on any netlabel to date.
At 11 minutes, with some great sampling and laid-back drums, On the Nature of Consciousnes is a great track to leave on loop at 2am on a Summer night. I feel warm just listening to it. There are samples of crickets and various outdoor recordings, mixed with a serene backdrop of subtle synths and occasional drums. What will make you remember this track is the vocal sample: “to be too conscious is an illness, a real thoroughgoing illness” (Fyodor Dostoevsky).
Single Bullet Theory contains samples from the Kennedy assassinations, and is a bit more up-beat than the first 3 tracks. The drums are nicely done, I don’t know if Wavespan has relied on off-the-shelf samples (rather than the hard graft of sourcing and chopping up samples), but they sound superb - it would be nice to take him for a pint and ask him!
Threshold gets a bit Radiophonic Workshop in places, but has some excellent distorted sounds - it’s basically feedback and saturated synths, surrounded by bubbling 70s analogue synths. It’s a good diversion from the dub-laden ambience of the other tracks, keeping things fresh by the time you hit Origin of Species.
Are you starting to see a pattern for an interest in 19th Century philosophy and science? Dostevsky, Origin of Species? Perhaps there is, but ultimately, Origin of Species sounds really cool. This is where Wavespan sounds more ‘modern’ than the other tracks, as I mentioned before. This is a nicely composed track as well, switching between themes and gradually coming to a climax at the end.
The last track, Re-Entry, uses some great effects programming, as Wavespan saturates synths, distorts them, then shows you what they looked like before. Perhaps it’s called Re-Entry because he’s leading you out of the warmth and depth of the EP back into the real world… which is looking rather cold and dark tonight. Perhaps I can get this set of inspiring and professionally produced MP3s on my MP3 player before I leave the office?