Basecamp - Greater Than EP

Basecamp
Greater Than EP
2015

Greater Than is the second EP from Nashville based producing trio Basecamp and uses synthy pops and R&B vocals to create twitchy electronic music. The album starts with "Watch My Back" and you are introduced to the theme, electronica done at an extremely high level paired with silky smooth R&B vocals. It is not a pairing that has not been made before, but never on this level. The electronic elements are so deeply immersed in that scene and the R&B is pure that you would not think that the two could find common ground, but they absolutely do. Often in electronic music you are missing that absolute slick sound, where the track just slides into your ear, but Basecamp have been able to do that with this EP. On "404", which begins with almost no warning, the subtle hint of a guitar comes in and it grounds the music in something old while never becoming dated in the slightest. It is just a nice thing for the listener to hand on to as different sounds fill their EP.

If Greater Than is any indication of where Basecamp is headed there are bright futures laid in front of them. In interviews they have said that they went into the recording of this record with absolutely no plan and just let the music flow. That sense is totally palpable, it feels almost like electronic jazz, just flowing out with no preconceived notions of what it should be. That way of working can either be extremely successful and offer a real sense of freedom or make for some quite terrible music with zero cohesion. This, the Greater Than EP, is what is possible, what can be accomplished when everything is just right. Do not miss this record or this band, things are about to get really big from them.

9 out of 10