The thing about Ron Basejam tracks is that they’re interesting. You can kind of tell that he’s just been fiddling with samples and synths in his studio until he comes up with something cool and then stopped fiddling at exactly the right moment. His tunes are often based around little samples but he flips them so well, and then builds something so new around them that they lose all ties to their previous audio identity and simple become part of Ron’s musical world.

“Music People” is what other reviewers might call leftfield house which means it’s got no 909s and doesn’t sound generic. Instead, it’s haunting and otherworldly without being particularly far out. It’s a bit like a “Running Up That Hill”-era Kate Bush album outtake that he’s re-edited into a dark-disco weird-a-thon. I don’t know if I’d ever play it out but maximum kudos for always pushing that creative envelope without ever being weird for weirds sake. It’s a tightrope and one that Ron Basejam treads with consummate ease.

“Don’t Bus My Aux” is more my speed. It’s a record with plenty of congas, timbales and bongos that you know are going to sound just brilliant when you mix it in. It’s moody and a bit tribal then he drops a chunky ’80s-ish Moog b-line in and some piano samples and the whole thing comes together in a slightly unexpected way. The second time the bassline drops after the break I bet where you’re playing it goes off.

Final track “The Hurt Inside” starts off with a Jan Hammer-ish sequenced synth pattern and a massive bit of flange action then he adds a whole bunch of stuff: samples from here and there, a synth line, a funky bass and just when you think you’ve got hold of what’s going on, it modulates up a couple of steps in a very pleasing way. Part-Italo, part-disco, all-fun; another great RB EP.

Ron Basejam: Music People (Phonica White / Digital / June 2022)
1. Ron Basejam: The Hurt Inside (06:49)
2. Ron Basejam: Don’t Bus My Aux (05:06)
3. Ron Basejam: Music People (05:17)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was not submitted as a promo.

This was originally published in #ReInvention: 5 Mag Issue #199 with Dance System, Lester Fitzpatrick, Roots Underground and more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for as little as $1 per issue.