Anahata

Lonely Bindi first engaged with music playing the tabla at his school in the foothills of the Himalayas, forming a bedrock upon which he now builds his electronic production practice. You might not hear immediate links to Indian classical music in these sleek, modernist creations, but the expressive tonality of tabla and mathematical beat cycles are a strong influence to absorb at a young age. Exposure to Western dance music in London as a teenager threw the possibilities of music wide open until he finally arrived at the sound you hear crystalised on Anahata.

Minimalism is a driving motivation in the palette Lonely Bindi reaches for, as pin-prick percussion skitters through airy mixes with an almost gallerial ambience, calling to mind Mark Fell and snd. amongst others. There's also a strong tilt towards the heavily swung grooves of UK garage, with sub bass to match on tracks like 'Bedroom (There, not There)'. Even more linear track 'This Is As Close As I Come' stutters and jerks in its fills, programmed to the edge of the groove's integrity.

More than just an austere exercise in stripped back rhythm science, Lonely Bindi edges threads of melancholy into the tracks via expressive FM synthesis, playing with a looseness at odds with the nagging sequencing. Such are the angles at work across Anahata, everything sports a chaotic, human imperfection that balances perfectly with the crisp sonic finish, resulting in an accomplished debut EP perfectly suited to the outsider instinct of the Room 2 series.