Ambient Meets Techno on Coma Conscience’s EP ‘Dub BIOS’

Coma Conscience, an Indian-bred experimental electronic project by Aditya, traces the fine line-like connective tissue between ambient and dub techno on his latest EP ‘Dub BIOS’.

Released on Dubai-based label KitchenSync Records, the five-track record is a sonic study of ambient dub techno, exploring the deeper and abstract outers of these genres with a rhythmic minimalism that is consistently charming.

Each track is packed with subdued laidback beats, deep atmospheric soundscapes and layers of elaborate basslines, slowly developing musical phrases, featuring heavy delay and reverb effects. While vocals are absent throughout the whole EP, the slow chillout nature of the tracks serves as a relaxing and meditative background music that’s immersive all the same.

The opener ‘Dropset’, though it leans more towards the darker shades of ambience with its echo-laden production techniques and hypnotic subdued beat, is an audio manifesto for the album.

On ‘Molecular’, granular synthesis and hazy effects float easily between layers of tripped-out ambient and field recordings that resemble the gurgling sound of lakewater amidst a fortress.

Meanwhile, on tracks like ‘Dublator’ and ‘Cliff Hanger’, fragments of faint percussion from dub techno and fuzzy pads and stabs are incorporated with influences from downtempo in a subtlety with every element given breathing space, resulting in a sense of organic fluidity.