The Bug – Exit

A Little Something Extra

The Bug may be a relative unknown in the States, but he’s an old hand in the U.K., having released innumerable records under a handful of different aliases and several collaborative projects. He’s caught the attention of Aphex Twin (aka, the Pope of Electronica), and spent some time signed to his Rephlex record label. Interest piqued? Naturally.

Exit comes on the heels of The Bug’s most recent full-length release, Angels & Devils, and serves as kind of an expansion pack for the serious listener. Having allegedly recorded well over 100 demos and cuts for the album, Bug was forced to ask himself that eternal question that haunts every musician and producer: “What the hell am I going to do with all these songs?” Throw a few on an EP, why not? Exit offers up an extra six tracks, though truth be told, it might as well be four. Two of the songs are immediately followed by alternate cuts of themselves. Discounting those, you have four songs here, evenly split between the sedately mellow and the ridiculously hype.

“Void” opens it up with a dark, mostly rhythmic structure backed by a sort of whale-song vocal howling, and its alternate cut, “Void Version” is essentially more of the same. Ditto for “Black Wasp,” a track that leans heavier on the dub sound with a bit of a Boards of Canada vibe in its muffled vocals and sweeping strings. A full musical 180 occurs when “Function” breaks open on gritty, blown-out synth horns in a kind of raucous postmodern hip-hop. It’s lo-fi all the way with plenty of room for headbanging and a definite Death Grips feel. As if it couldn’t get louder, the appropriately named “Blaow” then explodes to close out the record.

It’s bit of yin and yang with Exit. A few hushed, almost ambient soundscapes, and a couple of absolute eardrum rippers. The Bug’s definitely got it going here, but it’s important to remember that this EP is not a main course, nor is it really even an appetizer. It’s more of a side-dish, or perhaps an aperitif. Go for the album first, and if you crave more, turn to Exit for your fix.