Single Review: Paradigms

Here we have the latest release from Bad Jelly Collective, which comprises Ben Clark (vocals, guitar, production) and Dave Weir (bass). It is lengthy for a single, being 5:36, but that is due to the large amount of repetition contained within and the very slow build which takes place. Apparently inspired by the wonderful Waitakere Ranges, it uses electronic sounds along with guitar/bass to allow the listener to drop into an almost hypnotic state. The music in the background is often more complex than what is in the foreground, and it is only when Ben starts singing at more than a minute in that one realises there is actually a huge dub beat within this which the vocals accentuate.

The lyrics (just six lines) are repeated, and form part of the trancelike feeling which this single is attempting to invoke. This is way too quiet for radio or the clubs, it is meant to be played in a far more intimate setting with a small group of friends in a safe environment, and it really does lull the listener into a different space and time. In many ways very simple indeed, the arrangement has been designed with one purpose in mind, and that it does very well indeed. Possibly too slow for fans of electronic, this instead is aimed more into New Age, yet with very different influences to the norm.