Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week’s selections are chosen by all three of our daytime DJ’s. Today’s feature is “So Special” by Bomb the Bass, from their 2008 album, Future Chaos, on !K7 Records.
Tim Simenon may not be a household name in the U.S., but he’s a DJ well known in the U.K. for creating incredible electronic/dance music and pushing his genre to new heights. If you’re unfamiliar with his body of work, his history is really worth checking out. This song is a pleasant surprise — an electronic mix of old and new. It’s easy to typecast the music to the name and oversimplify things, but you could compare this song (and a lot of their new album) to a British version of The Album Leaf. Stripped down electronica, a really cool Moog synth, and some quiet retro pulses start the song until the beats get louder, the music gets layered, and the sweet lyrics of Paul Conboy (Soul Circuit) take over. And most importantly, it’s a track you can dance to. Bomb the Bass innovates by doing what few of their fellow musicians would dare: take something new and make it sound like they took it backwards.
Here’s their video for “Butterfingers,” featuring Fujiya & Miyagi:
