A finely crafted blend of dusty breakbeats, acid lines, and modern atmospheres, Ranidae sees BufoBufo deliver a sharply produced and deeply memorable take on breakbeat–IDM fusion.
Futuristic breaks, precisely balanced
On the Ranidae EP, BufoBufo plays with dusty breaks and acid squelches, combining them into futuristic and incredibly polished tunes. I’m a big fan of this type of breakbeat and IDM fusion and have chosen to review quite a few releases like this over the past year. That said, it doesn’t take away from the fact that I keep finding each one to be fantastic. This EP is no exception and greatly spikes my interest in BufoBufo.
For starters, it is wonderfully produced, with the sampled breaks being the clear highlights—they sound fantastic. There’s also the fact that it’s very well written: each track not only flows smoothly, but also features a standout moment that makes it memorable.
Even though acid 303s reign throughout most of the release, the atmospheric elements can’t be denied either. Beautiful, clean synth pads and chords embellish all of these tunes and ultimately contribute to the EP’s modern sound. They’re especially effective when paired with dusty breaks, like in “Isopod” or “Asperitas,” where certain drum sections are noticeably more lo-fi than others.
The opening track, “Ranidae,” is fantastic—though I may have to say that four more times as this review goes on. It’s very much in line with what I’d expect to hear from one of my favorite recently established labels, The Tabula Rasa Record Company. The track has a modern, serene feel, opening with an atmospheric intro that doesn’t wait too long before unleashing dizzying drum-and-bass-style breaks. As it progresses, it becomes heftier, with deep, dark bass that sounds absolutely fantastic. The tune oscillates between these denser sections and more laid-back moments, and it’s precisely this juxtaposition that works so well.
The follow-up, “Isopod,” doesn’t start off shy, kicking in immediately with its sampled dusty break. To give the piece more body, a splendid kick drum is added—and wow, does it sound good. This track also plays with contrast: shortly after you settle into its wonderful groove, an atmospheric breakdown pulls you out of it, only to slowly build everything back up again. The smoothness of these transitions alone is enough to make this my favorite track on the EP.
“Magpie Inkcap” is yet another winner, mainly thanks to its acid leads, which are both groovy and incredibly catchy, with a distinctly old-school feel. Halfway through, another excellent transition occurs: an arpeggiated synth lead drives the shift forward and completely transforms the track, pulling you into a different atmosphere in an instant. The piece eventually circles back to its main acid lead and groove, closing as neatly as it began.
Ranidae is available on Analogical Force. [Bandcamp]
