It’s testament to the enduring power of the emergent and divergent bass scene that an artist such as Cloud Boat can release a two sider of such differing proportions and for it to still sound so cohesive. ‘Lions On The Beach’, the lead single on this, Cloud Boat’s debut release is not your archetypal pop song but it’s still most definitely a pop song. 3 minutes and 33 short sweet seconds of Sam Rickett’s Mogwai-esque guitar swathes and Tom Clark’s haunting vocals pitched deliberately low in the mix, cut through with rolling, precise, drum programming and deadly bottom end. On the flip, ‘Bastion’ reveals Cloud Boat’s more emotive side. They started off a recent DJ mix with a Bon Iver track, which is a good jumping off point for Bastion. That is until the sub sneaks in. The love of enchanting melodies, belies a love of the bass, and it’s this juxtaposition and the lilting tones of the high pitched vocals that encapsulate and unite the tracks on this complex and beautifully programmed single. With the knowledge that Cloud Boat have already been hand picked by both James Blake and Mount Kimbie to support them on their respective tours you can get a feel for where this incredibly fresh sounding debut is anchored in. Think Steve Reich vs. Mala sprinkled with a little Thom Yorke and some light fingered Burial along the way.