Out on Monday (29th March, 2021) is the new EP from SUUNS Ben Shemie, via French Label NAHAL Recordings. Called 303 Diary, the EP was constructed around the TB-303, which Ben dreamed about owning and finally acquired during the first lockdown. Using the 303 and his voice – altered in various psychedelic ways, alongside a guest; Turkish musician Didem Başar plays the kanun on the track “Didem“. We’re absolutely delighted to be able to premiere the EP right here on Backseat Mafia today.
OF the EP, Ben told us, “This EP is both a personal diary, and a pivot to new territory for me. Written for the TB-303 and my voice, it was all composed in lockdown, far from my closest friends and family. I’ve always been a big fan of acid music. For those who have an appreciation of the 303 sound, I hope you dig it… I can’t honestly tell where it sits in the lexicon. It’s a combination of investigations, improvisations, personal reflections and simple songs. It’s all live and in the moment performed once in the studio with the tape running.”
The EP skirts around a variety of electronic genres, but experimental acid house seems to be at the centre of things, as it flits through elements of IDM, Krautrock, world and psychedelic music. From the wildly vivacious opener ‘Everything Is Spinning’, to the hazy psychedelia of Hurts So Real, it’s a real journey, where the burning imagination of Shemie shines brightly everywhere, from the brilliant collaboration with Didem Başar stands out, to the motorik, jazzy ‘Swinging’ and the straight up electro of Upside Down.
All in all, a spectacular release. Check it out, here
