bombthebass-futurechaos music reviews Virgin Media
Acid house pioneer returns in more reflective vein
When Tim Simenon made his last record as Bomb The Bass, Britpop was in full swing and dance culture was dominated by the pensive strains of trip-hop. Thirteen years on, Simenon has proved his continued relevance with a back-to-the-future album that eschews the hyperventilating, soulful house music with which he made his name, in favour of a sleeker, more aloof electronica that aches with sparse longing and melancholy.
Simenon created Future Chaos on a vintage Minimoog synth and its dark, distracted motorik is clearly in thrall to techno-pioneers such as Kraftwerk. Sometime collaborator Paul Conboy contributes muted vocals while Mark Lanegan also guests, lending tracks such as Butterfingers the blanched, self-absorbed feel of Depeche Mode at their most brooding.
Bomb The Bass may have left the dance floor behind them, but Future Chaos hints that Tim Simenon may yet prove to be a remarkably febrile and provocative electronic auteur.
More to try: Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express Depeche Mode: Ultra Voodoo Child: Baby Monkey
