Music For A Trance-Inducing State

Electronic group Bitchin Bajas, the side project of Cave guitarist and organist Cooper Crain, is out with an EP that sounds like the background music for a meditation class. The songs put the listener into a trance-inducing state. It is the perfect balance of soothing sounds that allow the listener to even forget that there is music playing at all. In some of the tracks there is a minor Middle Eastern influence to their sound, especially in “Turiya.”

However, one downfall to this album is that despite the extreme lengths of most of the tracks, these songs don’t seem to go anywhere. Usually when listening to a tune of that length, a musician will do something with that space, such as use buildups and turnarounds, while always coming back to the original melody and still keeping the listener interested. With this album, though, the songs don’t seem to really change. They stay relatively in the same place. This leaves listeners wanting to fast forward, hoping to hear some intricate changes. Yet in the end the listener is just left feeling disappointed.

Bitchin’ Bajas can seem to only pass as electronic. However, that label doesn’t feel right. Usually when one thinks of electronic music, he or she thinks of pounding beats and soundtracks to raves. What this trio has been able to do is make electronic sounds that are soothing, a nice change compared to the rest of a very noisy genre. Overall, if you’re looking for something relaxing, or something to just have on in the background, this is a great album.