Botnit Refuses To Succumb To The Cold

Botnit's single releases on his Bandcamp page have been quite enthralling of late and his last EP, No Winter, provides some very well designed synthscapes that tell a story and retain a superb degree of clarity throughout.

The No Winter EP is three seasonal chapters that will definitely cause temperatures to soar. The Botnit style is rather reminiscent of the classic 80s synth soundtrack music one would find in dramatic sequences of cutting edge cop shows or action movies blending atmosphere and turmoil perfectly. There is a futuristic, sharp edge to the tones throughout the EP which slice like razors through the spatial arrangements. Botnit even manages to get some 80s sounding drum and bass in the mix too, which works exceedingly well.




Opening up with Time Trials '87 (Spring) we're greeted by samples from the one and only Ayrton Senna before breaking into a musical space that is full of bright, crisp instrumentation and full of high octane energy. This piece, as described on the EP, does feel like an 80s version of something you'd hear in a classic 90s arcade racing game and as the aesthetic accelerates off the grid at high speed one can't help but feel that glorious victory the only option as we separate from the pack.

Transport (Summer) is the second composition and, as I alluded to previously, is a stunning mix of drum and bass arrangements done with traditional 80s sounds. The smooth flowing melodies are complemented by thunderous percussion and builds like a typhoon throughout it's duration. Elements are introduced in due course, allowing much exploration of the D&B hallmarks all while keeping things anchored in the 80s. It's a surprising mix that does make sense and is, most definitely, totally rockin.

Our final chapter brings us to Autumn, with See You Later, Sally (Fall). The music is peppered with weather report samples but it's the drawn and gaunt melodies that really capture the feeling of being weather-tired and needing some kind of reprieve. The notes barely hang together, such is the effort to keep from totally falling apart. Like the thunderstorms described in the samples, the music feels out of our control and we just have try and make it through. But it's this laboured and sparsely accented music that makes it such a wonderfully engaging track. Maybe it's just because we've suffered a monstrous heatwave in my part of the world, but this music describes exactly how I felt after being physically and mentally drained from experiencing too many days in a row of hot weather without respite.

The No Winter EP is presented on Botnit's Bandcamp page here and makes for a seriously fresh experience in 80s inspired synth that has been accented by genres from other entirely unrelated periods. It's a testament to Botnit's skill as a producer that these experiences all work marvellously well. Synthetix.FM highly recommends the No Winter EP, and please check Botnit's single releases on Bandcamp for even more kick arse rockin action.