Basic Soul Unit

Toronto, ON's Stuart Li (the man behind Basic Soul Unit) makes his impressive, long-awaited full-length debut with Motional Response. Through ten tracks, BSU demonstrates his knack for rhythmic and melodic intricacy while sticking to a relatively uniform timbral palette of nostalgic, Roland-esque drum hits and synth squelches. Li's debut full-length is full of tracks, in the sense that anything from the album could easily pull its weight as a twelve-inch single, whether it's the skittering melodic sequences of square waves and overdriven beats of "Clouds" or the acidic tones and contrasting rhythms of "This." While the sonic qualities of the works on Motional Response are somewhat similar, Li's fresh arrangements of these elements diversifies the listening experience, providing listeners with a cohesive collection of futuristic techno that draws heavily upon familiar sounds. This is a feat not accomplished easily by many.