Sydney based collective APSIS has released the ninth mix in their series, this time with Ged’s take on a solo form after breaking away from regular collaborator Nicha. Compared to the first release in the APSIS mix series, featuring Nicha and Ged, this current mix is a lot more focused, with an emphasis entirely on Ged’s deeper basslines and darker sound colours. Verging on experimental territory, this mix of ambient beats and electronic drums offers unique sounds and a lot of energy. Where the first mix gave listeners brighter effects and a melody to follow, using vocals and more musical layers, this ninth mix offers less traditional song structure and a more atmospheric, albeit more brooding, listening experience.
The mix softly opens, with some vocal chants and distant effects gently introducing the audience to Ged’s trance influences and ambient soundscape. Ged then brings in some jarring high pitched synth work, which breaks over a wailing female vocalist, before distorting and allowing the deep base to enter. There are some international influences seen in the mix, with hip hop whistles and earthy African beats keeping a steady groove. Once Ged warms into the mix he introduces the aggressive and unrelenting bassline. At around the 10-minute mark he begins to build layers of electronic bass drones so that by the 20-minute mark the listener is being bombarded with a constant beat.
The middle section of the mix is reminiscent of early to mid 90s European EDM and house music. A constant thumping bass overlapping with furious electronic drums again overlayed with rising synth melodies takes the music into a trance like dance section. As the mix slows its pacing down, at around the 40-minute mark, there is a greater focus on the technical percussion and electronic drum beats. With sharp solo drum work resembling the high energy 80s hip hop and funk beats, the barrage of the dance sections bass might’ve stopped but the kinetic rhythm is still in full swing. The mix ends of a significantly softer and calmer place than where it is during the dance sections. The beats are much more distant and the low bass is softer. This allows for the listener to focus down to the core of Ged’s experimentation, with some lighter percussion work and the return of vocals all extending the broad range of sounds on display. Ged’s solo mix and the ninth release in APSIS’ series is interesting not only for the strange and unique sounds Ged’s experimentation offers, but for the range of genre influences he exposes the audience to during this experimentation.