TNGHT // TNGHT EP // July 24 // LuckyMe

These are the golden days for bass music. There’s so much experimentalism going around that the scene that was born yesterday will die out in a couple of months just because some more exciting new sound will pop up all of a sudden. For many many years bass and hip hop was synonymous. Few people have united the two as well as TNGHT do on their debut EP.

TNGHT are not some newcomers to the scene that are blowing up suddenly for some reason. No, it’s Hudson Mohawke, an expert DJ and maximalism innovator slash the only reason why Rustie is making the kind of music he makes. Next to him there’s Lunice, an upcoming producer on Diplo’s Mad Decent roster that is quickly making a name for himself thanks to all the bass heavy yet slow dancefloor carnage that he induces. TNGHT is the logical collaboration then as it consists of slow, drooling basslines that could easily work as an instrumental track for some equally maximalist MC to spit his fire up while delivering so much sugar that it borders ridiculous. See Bugg’n, a track that samples Aaliyah while making a beat of something that sound like a dripping tap. TNGHT isn’t serious but it’s willingness to innovate is commendable.

TNGHT EP doesn’t really chase ideas even though it’s not that dissimilar to what is currently happening in bass music anyway. They just take them to a degree where they are too crazy too work. It makes for some brilliant dancefloor mayhem even if the EP might be taxing for some bass fans. There’s no such thing as a linear, straight-forward beat on here, this is bass music with a nasty case of ADD. Easy Easy has a beat that is made of cars crashing, glass smashing and guns clicking, no joke. It’s probably the weakest track on here because, all the crazy sounds aside, TNGHT are the masters of the dancefloor and it’s when to cater to it is exactly when they sound the best. Higher Ground is the centre of the attention here. It takes a tiny vocal sample and loops it to make the track into something of a juke slowburner. As far as juke crossovers go, Higher Ground is the Out In The Streets of 2012.

TNGHT EP is not a perfect steady experience of some of the freshest bass music out there right now but even with a couple of moments that go nowhere, it’s a record that is uncompromising in its desire to have fun while breaking boundaries. TNGHT EP is as huge on the hip hop beat scene as anything Lex Luger has ever made and it has the pure doe eyed positivity of Rustie’s most hands-in-the-air moments. While their solo efforts can go in circles, TNGHT is the complete package. If they know what’s good for them and us then full length album is surely soon to follow.