Bounte- The Desolation Test EP

Artist: Bounte

CD Title: The Desolation Test EP

Label: Zen Dozer

Genre: Electronica, Techno, Dance, Pop, Downtempo

Dean Dunakin and Bounte have been pushing the boundaries of dance music since their debut release “One” on Chris Randall’s (Sister Machine Gun) record label, Positron. His traditional musical training can be found seeping into all of his releases as Dean weaves in between musical genres such as jazz, funk, trip-hop, IDM, Pop, EDM, Disco and Industrial. Over the past 6 years, Dean has also been a member of Wade Alin’s Atomica Project and has remixed artists as diverse as SMP, I:scintilla, and Silver Atlas. You never quite know what to expect from a Bounte release and 2013’s The Desolation Test EP out on Zen Dozer is no exception. You get five very diverse songs on his latest EP, starting with “These Moves” which highlights a funky bass line and a horn section. It actually reminds me of a mix of Fatboy Slim and Jason Mraz but in a good way. Not to mention the chorus is completely addictive “that body you show is making me go and meet you on the dance floor”. A very nice and refreshing start and a track that should really be played on your local pop station. Track two, “Edge of the Earth” see’s the vocals pushed to a secondary position as it gives you the feel that this could really be a Squarepusher or Autechre album track. The song “Two Moments” really sees Dean pushing the BPM’s up for a high energy track that would fit nicely mixed in behind an Underworld track such as “Moaner” as the vocals take on that punchy spoken word feel to them.  “Primitive Suffering” is where I was really taken by surprise because it felt like this was a 70’s disco track dragged kicking and screaming into 2013 because it’s hidden behind a wall of noise and distortion and I highly approve. To round out the EP we have “Know: You love isn’t Evil” which brings the album to a close in a slowed down chill out track much akin to a Verve song. If you aren’t afraid of a little experimentation in your dance music and you are willing to step out of your “industrial safety zone”  then I highly suggest checking this EP out and it might just refresh your musical palette and I would rate it as a 7 out of 10.

Take a Listen: Bounte- Edge of Earth

Buy Bounte- The Desolation Test EP