Secant
Prime: Fourier Bessel Series (Uncoiled Loops/Bandcamp)

“Fourier
Bessel Series” is the first tease from Secant Prime’s
album Wavelets (release date unknown). The track begins as a really handsome slab
of deep string drones accentuated with distant radio chatter and
effects, setting the tone really well for what’s to follow.
Eventually a bouyant, patient, muted throb becomes just audible
enough to give the track some extra momentum, even locking in place
as a 4/4 techno pulse for a short while, lending it a vaguely
underwater quality akin to Porter Ricks or Gas. But by and large,
this is elegant, deep ambience at its finest with only the faintest
suggestion of something more strident. The remixes take the original
from its cavernous depths to a variety of other places, though the
first by SlumberSiren is faithful to the delayed decay of the
original, emphasizing its sense of space with added reverb and
effects so heavy and chilly you can practically feel it in your
bones. Eventually it disintegrates into a woozy oscillation of reverb
and a more pared down arrangement, complementing the original quite
nicely. Not all remixes insist on plumbing the same depths, though.

Fourier Bessel Series Remixes by Secant Prime

The Louderest Mix is a far more immediate dancefloor remix, with a
punchy, snare-heavy rhythm section and an urgent, staggered 2-note
bassline. It’s a tightly wound club workout that’s mostly effective,
though I could do without the party siren that appears numerous
times. The Eight of Swords mix also takes on the dancefloor, in a
less punchy and more concise track that’s just 3 minutes long. The
Sincock Mix closes it out with something of a hybrid. It’s mostly as
dense and foggy as the original, but features prominently added
chimes and musical gestures that feel more scoreish but ultimately
unnecessary. The original is the shining star of the lot, though both
the SlumberSiren and Mean Flow mix capitalize on its strengths well,
too, by virtue of emphasizing the ambience and not forcing it into a
different context. My curiosity is definitely piqued to hear the full
Wavelets album when available. Highly recommended.

Buy it: Bandcamp