Trippy Notes for Bass & Remixes

Those who know bassist Doug Wimbish from his work with Tackhead, Strange Parcels, and Jungle Funk may find his first solo album to be disconcertingly tame. Where his playing in most previous contexts has been wild, funky, and sometimes anarchic, drawing freely on jazz, dub, and punk influences, here he's in an almost contemplative mood. It's not that there are no beats — "Bedwood," with its chugging mid-tempo groove and an ambience lifted straight from labelmates African Head Charge, is propulsive enough, "Logdrum" is based on some seriously booty-moving loops, and "Will & Skip" (a tribute to drummer Will Calhoun and guitarist Skip McDonald, Wimbish's frequent collaborators) has a definite funk underpinning. But the prevailing mood here is gently atmospheric, almost spiritual. "Glory" sounds like a field recording from an electronic rain forest; "Glorification Chant" sounds like a sort of North African qawwali variant in 12/8 time. Those hoping for bone-shaking grooves and crazier-than-thou Adrian Sherwood mixes may be disappointed, but they shouldn't be — this is a very beautiful piece of work. [Dude's 2008 edition featured new album art and four bonus tracks.]