Playful and Imaginative

Baths’ fourth studio album delves into electronic music that’s intricate and minimalistic at the same time. The project of Will Wiesenfeld, Romaplasm is playful and imaginative. The album is characterized by ambient, mellow synths trickling with pitter-patting beats and layered string, piano and other crackling elements. The vocals act as an additional layer of rhythm, driving the pulsing beats forward. Inspired by anime and comics, Romaplasm is an escape to a land full of wonder.

Romaplasm opens with “Yeoman,” which takes the listener up into outer space with bouncing, video-gamey synths and lyrics like “Left my life on the ground / To dance with you in the clouds.” “Extrasolar” has a tribal feel about it with on-beat low, hollow synths and flutes playing over a thin layer of static that continues throughout the song. The singing remains rhythmic in nature, and in modern form, the pitches are unexpected and feel as though they’re being pulled out of thin air. Repetition and jumping melodies continue in the minimalist-inspired “Abscond.”

It’s clear that Wiesenfeld’s composition process has each song landing at the comfortable four-minute mark. This can also be said for “Human Bog,” a standout on the album. With brooding, pulsing synths and a driving off-beat, from the first note it has the listener attempting to peel back the layers of each sound he or she is experiencing. And with deeply personal lyrics like “I’m queer in a way that works for you / If this is stupid will you see it through / The lengths I go to get hold on to,” it’s hard not to fall into the soft bed that is “Human Bog.”

“Out” is about the most danceable that Romaplasm gets, with a quick driving beat and pulsating 16th notes thrown in for good measure. “Wilt” has a hip-hop intro feel about it, with low spoken words and a cascading arpeggiated piano line that’s one of the most pleasant sounds on the album.

While there is a soothing, ambient quality to the album, its repetitive nature often makes the music fade into the background, and the lack of melodic lines can make it challenging for the listener to remain engaged throughout the work. There are certainly noteworthy, beautiful moments that are to be found on the album, but it will require the listener to be patient and present. These moments are often instrumental or synthetic, like the piano lines in “Wilt” and “Coitus,” or the instrumental part three minutes into “Yeoman,” which hints at earlier inspirations on Cerulean. Fans of Sufjan Stevens and Animal Collective come to mind when recommending this album, and it’s sure to please fans of electronic art music who are ready to embrace Wiesnefeld’s vulnerability with open arms.