Ancient Astronauts

Into Bass and Time
Switchstance Recordings : 2011

Sophomore albums are a tricky entity. Sometimes they are an indication of growth and sometimes they fall flat because the artist or group tries to maintain any magic gained from their first effort, in a sense, clinging to other’s ideas of who they are and should be. Ancient Astronauts sophomore work Into Bass and Time shows nothing but growth and forward movement from the moment play is pressed.The German duo crafts the new album so that it flows through several different genres and technical approaches, which keeps the album fresh and moving along at a rapid pace even for the down tempo tracks. The music is cinematic in tone and allows the listener to create a landscape along with the sound being absorbed.

Out of the 15 tracks, 6 feature a vocalist or rapper, mixing in just enough vocals and giving glimpses of other quality musical/production/DJ duos like Handsome Boy Modeling School. With blistering raps from Azeem, Raashan Ahmad, and W. Ellington Fulton, fans of the lyrical side of hip-hop will absolutely get fed. Fans of the more instrumental side of music, tracks like “Noctune,” “Still a Soldier,” and “Worldwide” will certainly strike a chord. Also, the turntablism found of the album is pro-caliber scratching and helps to give many of the tracks that “authentic” feel.

With all the good found on this album, there is one minor misstep, though it comes at the end of the album. The track “Bitter Hypnotic” features a wobbly vocal performance by Phat Old Mamas that just doesn’t seem to fit.

All-in-all, Into Bass and Time serves up a hot plate of solid music in both production and vocals, and this is an album that should pique the interest of people who enjoy many different styles of sound when they take the time to listen.

-Jonathan Poppe