What does Throw Down Bones sound like?

A mixture of the UK’s grittiest 90’s trance scene and some crazy psych-rock.

The review of ‘4EP’ by Throw Down Bones

Following up on their 2023 album ‘Three’, ‘4EP’ has experimental electronic band Throw Down Bones embrace their darker side. Born out of live sets, the trio’s mix of guitars, bass, synths, and drums has allowed them to explore a heavier, dark industrial rave sound, mixing in bits of psychedelic rock and kraut rock, too. The blurring of genre lines is what drew me into ‘4EP’, but it was the fierce and uncompromising energy that kept me coming back for more.

The record opens with ‘Honesty / Truth / Reality’ and we are introduced to a visceral, scorched electronic soundscape. A jungle-IDM hybrid beat skips and trips over itself like a factory in heat. Soon, a grungy, sizzling bass riff is forged from its ashes to propel the track forward. It’s one of those basslines that sticks in your mind, but more importantly, you can feel it resonate in your waters. Be kind to your subwoofers with this track; it is an absolute banger. Moving from the gritty basslines of the opener, ‘Juno Harm’ mixes vintage synths that bleep and bloop like a spiralling trance robot with breakbeats that have been damaged and whipped into submission. Whilst there’s more going on tonally in ‘Juno Harm’, since overarching synth pads dip in and out to add brightness to the mix, this piece feels more like an industrial apocalypse. Throw Down Bones places more emphasis on feeling and an impending sense of powerful overwhelm over time than a straightforward riff or melody. It’s a potent mix.

The intensity doesn’t let up as filter effects lead the way on ‘No One Cares’. Every synth and percussive sound is filtered through a granular distortion, and it reminds me of the UK’s mid-to-late 1990’s dance, rave, and industrial scenes after The Prodigy became more mainstream. It has that ‘Firestarter’ visceral rage to it, and some of its psych guitar elements sound like nods to its distorted sound. Whilst the EP sounds fantastic with headphones on, this track sounds particularly textured and audibly interesting. The closing track, ‘Two Different Cubes’, is a percussive menace. The rhythm smashes away like a coldwave rendition of a Brazilian samba. Whilst Francesco Vanni’s guitars and synths, and Marion Andrau’s bass and synths have led the way on the first three tracks, drummer Raphael Mura commands the closer in style. With echoey monk choir samples, cold and haunted flickering airy synths, and a general feeling of cave violence and primordial angst pulsating throughout, ‘Two Different Cubes’ will get your blood pumping. Workout music for demons? Perhaps.

I love the intensity and mix of electronic ideas and psych-rock flavours across ‘4EP’. When creating dark electronic music, some artists and bands can tend to get lost in a muddy swap of textures or aural hues, forgetting to create fully formed pieces of music. Throw Down Bones ensures each track sounds fully formed and comes with personalities and mood swings. These are a moody bunch of songs, intent on throwing their weight around, and I’m here for it. A deliciously dark delight, especially if you’d like your trance music grittier and threatening to become a full-on rave.

Recommended track: Honesty / Truth / Reality

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