The Acidophiles - The Water EP

The Acidophiles - The Water EP
http://theacidophiles.bandcamp.com/album/the-water-ep

Right on the heels of Wick-It's release, CO-based electronic producers, the Acidophiles dropped the newest episode in their elements series, The Water EP. This time around they only bring us 3 tracks, but don't let that lead you to believe there is less music on this release. The opening track, Surge, clocks in at over eleven minutes. Without missing a step, the Acidophiles start out their newest EP in the same manner as many of their previous releases: with a slowly building soundscape. I always enjoy this part of their jams as it helps lead me into the hardest bass without slapping me in the face. While the arpeggios and blips are as strong as ever, the bass clearly takes the spotlight on this track. The middle portion of Surge brings some of the hardest bass I've heard on an Acidophiles release (and that's saying something) up until the last minutes when they opt for a funky, squelchy bass patch that gives the whole track a chance to break it back down to the pre-face-melting status of the song's intro.

Sublimation may be a more literal title than I originally thought as the intro is laced with ambiance and background sounds that will make you think of subliminal messages. Just when you think things are beginning to hypnotize you, a patch that could have come straight from Maniac Mansion on the NES leads us into the first of the melodic soundscapes of the track. This track is much more low-key than the previous, with locced-out claps that carry the rhythm as the synthetic elements breakdown and ride back to the top again. In final quarter of the track, the grit comes back to the forefront of the mix. A nasty bass synth leads us through a beat-repeat driven outro that takes the melodic content of this song to its highest point. The slowing walking bass melody creates a fantastic sense of emotion and building drama up until the plunky arpeggiated synth drops tempo and leads into the final track.

Galatic Tides is aptly named as it makes you feel as if you are riding the waves of Saturn's outer most rings. This track is a great example of what continues to draw me back to the Acidophiles tunes again and again. They use sounds that could have been used in the soundtrack of every video game on the NES system. More importantly, they use sounds that are pure and let them focus on the progressions and melodies they create. The combination of their musical sensibilities with their production on Propellerhead's Reason software create a very unique subset of sounds that are not being made by really any other producers I am familiar with. The epic bass sounds of dubstep, mixed with the low-key down-tempo beats and 8-bit synths create a sound that is both new and classic at the same time.  The psychedelic element of the Acidophiles sound may be what makes it so successful. Every track tends to take you on a journey. Although this EP is named in honor of water, I feel that it should refer to water in is coolest state: ice; mainly because each of these tracks transports me to outer space. Galactic Tides first made me feel like I was surfing in space, but by the end, I feel like I am zipping across the cosmos on a beam of light.

Overall, the Water EP is a great addition to the other releases in the elements series. The Acidophiles are able to distill the essence of the elements they pay homage to and channel it into their music time and time again. And I, for one, truly enjoy it.

Be sure to check out all of the elements EPs from the Acidophiles at their site
http://theacidophiles.bandcamp.com