Tag: Bass 305

a DM Records compilation : Bass Overload

a DM Records compilation : Bass Overload

This compilation, a DM Records album sampler of sorts, starts with two good songs. Bass 305’s Return, with its pretty pianos and Indian chants, brings about a sense of grace and placidity. Underground Bass Masters follow with a groove that sounds even better; the title cut from their newest album.

There are actually three UBM songs here and they’re all good. The set is mostly lackluster otherwise. I like Subsonic Love, but Operating System is nonfunctional and What Is A DJ should be removed from the playlist. Bass Alliance is missing in action, but their album title makes an odd appearance.

my rating : 3 of 5

1999

a DM Records compilation : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 3 ]

a DM Records compilation : Bass Sound Off USA [ Volume 3 ]

This third Volume in the Bass Sound Off series is about on par with the first two. That is to say it’s just as much of a bloated mess. An EP of the six actual Bass Syndicate songs; the rest are 808XS beats and random sound effects; would make for a decent listen. The better among them include Aruba Prelude, which should’ve started the set, and Backward Glances, which should’ve ended it.

my rating : 2 of 5

1997

audio review : 305.1 ( song ) … Bass 305

This is for sophisticated bassheads; audiophiles who demand top quality sound not only in their vehicles but at home. It’s a song about loudspeakers and an ideal one to test them out on. If your woofers can endure the bridge at high volume without a blowout, they’ve passed the test.

The main beat, led by an industrial slash techno-bass loop, is sleek and innovative. The chorus, sang by the enchanted angels from This Planet, is even better. The song’s one design flaw though is a major one; the pointless jazz bit at the end. It should stop at 2:30 like “What happened?”

my rating : 4 of 5

1995

audio review : Departure ( album ) ... Bass 305

audio review : Good Versus Evil ( song ) … Bass 305 + Bass Mekanik

This would be Good if the angelic piano chorus, the murmurs of which conjure Does Life Exist On This Planet, weren’t abandoned halfway in. It’s a beautiful bit that should’ve been looped to no end or at least brought back near the end. As is, the song seems anticlimactic; unfinished even.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021

audio review : Bass Resurrection ( album ) ... Bass 305

audio review : Bass Resurrection ( album ) … Bass 305

audio review : Bass Resurrection ( album ) ... Bass 305

Bass 305 were, at one point in time, releasing a new album every year. Now fans have to wait a decade. Their newest have come literally once every ten years. This Bass Resurrection; another album title that has to do with coming back; is even more of a tease as it’s initially promoted as a limited edition of 305 CDs; actual Compact Discs; a throwback to their 1990s heyday. Fans who miss out have to wait even longer to hear it.

Is it worth the wait? Well, it’s the best Bass 305 album since their 1995 Departure, which doesn’t mean much considering every album since has been way below par. This set pays homage to Digital Bass and Bass The Future, but Virtual Bass is their real magnum opus. An album comparable to that would be a return to form. This is merely a return to decency, which, after all these years, is still a pleasant surprise.

What’s even more surprising are collabs with not only past labelmates Techno Bass Crew and Underground Bass Masters but rivals Techmaster PEB and Bass Mekanik; the latter of which includes the album’s best music. Good Versus Evil is a frustrating listen though as the angelic piano chorus; this beautiful bit should’ve been looped to no end; is abandoned halfway in. A similar thing happens on Outer World.

What’s up with all the rehashing? I don’t like the concept of remakes in general. Remaking your own songs when there’s nothing wrong with the originals, not to mention the fact that you’ve already remade them before in the past, is just absurd. Even worse are the Quad City songs; the Bassheads anthem is so damn annoying; and the Comeback Mash-Up at the end. These tracks make no sense on a new Bass 305 album.

Dreamer, on the other hand, is a conceptual improvement over its Cryptobass demo version. Bass Love Ballad should’ve also been given a proper title, but it too sounds nice. Add One Small Step; these Florida boys have always been enamored with the purported Apollo moon missions; to the list of standouts and you start to realize the best moments of this Resurrection revolve not around Bass but pianos.

my rating : 3 of 5

2021