Well talk about a long-time coming. Data70 is Bob Bhamra (a.k.a. West Norwood Cassette Library) and John Chambers (Sunray). The first volume of Space Loops landed way back in 2004 on Enraptured Records and the second followed in 2008, packaged as 7”’s on coloured vinyl with suitably retro-tastic artwork. Around the release of Volume 2 it was natural to associate the project with the Hauntological genre (Ghost Box, Moon Wiring Club, Mordant Music etc.) and certainly that love of ancient electronics is gorgeously prevalent but with distance of time, Data70 now seems like a much more idiosyncratic project.

The conceit is a simple one but brilliantly, trippily effective: loops of analogue electronics all lasting around one minute, 24 in total with this final volume, clearly besotted with Radiophonic and library texture and innovative naivety but given a wholly contemporary sheen. Both protagonists have a deep reaching background in psychedelic drone and coupled with Bob’s dancefloor work as West Norwood Cassette Library, that’s a lot of influence to pack into such subtly restrained and exquisitely composed miniatures.

P.S. Whilst you’re here you should check out Bob’s absolutely magnificent Instant Digest under the name NO.1 ASTRONAUT – an incredible condensation of five decades worth of pop music into a glorious 20 minute-long piece of Plunderphonic micro-surgery.

Johnny Mugwump