The untimely passing of UK producer Mark Bell last year saw the electronic music scene losing one of its most influential pioneers. From his early beginnings alongside Gez Varley as one half of seminal Sheffield techno duo LFO through to his later production for artists such as Bjork and Depeche Mode, Bell left a discernible aesthetic imprint that’s likely to remain for a long time. One artist who certainly agrees is Californian electronic producer Kid606, and as its title hints this latest download only EP acts as a personal tribute to Bell, with the six tracks collected here offering up a homage to his work and influence. While this could have ended up as pastiche though, instead Kid606 manages to craft a sweeping blend of cold yet emotive, slightly retro electronics that’s distinctly his own.
The opening title track kicks things off with a slightly downbeat glide through clicking 808 kickdrums and flickering snares that sees a vaguely dubby bassline powering beneath faded sounding synth stabs that occasionally wander out into more harshly filtered territory, before ‘Cute Attack’ gets more bright and shimmery, sending sheeny layers of synths refracting off a gliding backdrop of 4/4 techno rhythms, the descending bassline adding a warm disco-funk edge to the coldly brittle electronics as things soar off towards the horizon. Elsewhere, ‘Little Fun’ offers up a more introspective glide through shuffling house rhythms and delayed-out hi-hats that sees vaguely melancholic synth pads and stabs building dramatic atmosphere against dark flashes of growling bass, before ‘Happy Closure’ takes things off on a beatless wander through elegantly pretty synth arrangements offering up a suitably elegiac moment that still sees bright poppy melodies dancing at the very edges. A consistently inspired EP that pays fitting tribute to Bell – and it’s only a couple of bucks through Kid606’s Bandcamp site too.
