Two Basses Good?

Monika Enterprises has got to be one of the great modern indie labels. Go and pick up the Monika Force compilation and wonder at the breadth and variety of the synthetic pop on offer. I wasn't too keen on their latest release - "4 Women No Cry" - whose tunes all rely on the Juana Molina home recording schtick but with artists like Barbara Morgenstern, Michalea Melian and Chica and the Folder there'll always be something good to find amongst their CDs. (and do visit 20 Jazz Funk Greats while you're at it as they put me onto them in the first place).

One of my favourite tracks on the comp is

mp3: Contriva - Shadow (Mo Mix)

This is a very simple tune with an acoustic guitar or two, a kick pattern, a fluid bass and 2 other bass synths inter-twining (the most insistent utilses ADSR pulse width modulation - my favourite synth sound). When it finally adds a few more notes and a slight chord change I really become the synth.

This multiple bass deal reminded me of one of my favourite post-rock bands:

mp3 : Ganger - Lid of the Stars (btw- 8Mb)

They were late comers to the whole aesthetic (as was I) living their short timespan at the end of the 90s. But while I can hardly bear to listen to Tortoise anymore (apart from DJ'd) I can always put on "Hammock Style" and enjoy it from start to finish. This is the last track on the album and has a bass synth drone + 2 normal basses playing multiples - the interaction is spellbinding.