B E N N – ‘Primordial Error’ Review

What does B E N N sound like?

Experimental electronic noise, deconstructed.

The review of ‘Primordial Error’ by B E N N

Hailing from Taipei City, Taiwan, electronic producer B E N N is one of my more experimental finds on my jaunts around Bandcamp, and his music immediately captured my imagination. B E N N takes elements of Asian music and deconstructs them in a way that makes the original samples or performances unrecognisable. He has previously released a two-part EP series based on Haka drums, which focused on rhythm and distortion. With his new EP ‘Primordial Error’, things are a bit more abstract and bass-driven.

The five-track EP kicks off with ‘Primordial Pulse’. Here, B E N N twists an Asian vocal sample into a ghoulish technicolour yawn as all kinds of synthetic squeaks and metallic rustles simmer like aggressive static. A pulsing kick drum blasts through the disorientating noise to give rhythm, and a low bass fuzz pierces the otherwise higher frequency noises to ground the piece. It lacks any distinct melody, but ‘Shadow Eclipse’ brings something more tuneful with its visceral industrial beats and slow-motion rave tones. As the burnt and singed keyboard elements wail, it’s the bassline that takes centre stage, carving through the mix, backed by hedonistic beats like a ritual dance from 2250. Darkly aggressive, there’s something hollow and dangerous about it that draws me in.

‘Twilight Deviation’ sounds like what would happen if Akira Yamaoka’s trip-hop dark ambient Silent Hill soundtracks were given some Thai bells and a bit of dub-wub in their bellies. Every sound is designed to feel caustic and formative, like a goblin forge for midnight wolves to run. The Thai bells are perfectly detuned to add a tuneful eeriness to the mix in a way that Iglooghost fans would enjoy. ‘Flux’ uses various vocal snippets, chopped up over slithering beats that double up with twisted sonar sounds. Echoes and reverbs on key percussive elements ring out to provide a grand scale to the song, whilst the minutiae of the noise elements are intricately chaotic. That allows ‘裂 5 Fractails’ to round off the EP with the most tuneful and clear track of them all. A scant keyboard synth pulsates like a slow trance number between two chords, whilst the noise elements are replaced by electro-acoustic percussion instruments that each take their turns to lead four bars of music. Everything from metal blocks to drumsticks to skidding trainers get their time to shine. The track never stops evolving its sound despite keeping the same melodic and rhythmic pattern from start to finish.

B E N N is a producer who will resonate with the experimental crowd who prioritise overwhelming moods over distinct melodies. Each track comes with a thick spread of either danger, ominous darkness, or percussive discord. It’s up to you to untangle the mess and sit with visceral bass attacks that B E N N provides. This is definitely a release that benefits from a subwoofer. It’ll rattle everything within range as its primordial urges convulse and spill out. Enjoyable, as long as you embrace the chaos.

Recommended track: Twilight Deviation

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