Blank Tapes bring us the debut album release from Bass Clef, aka Ralf Cumbers. Having spent years refining and distilling his sound, Ralph finally locked himself in his tiny studio in Hackney. Eight months later he emerged with a clutch of demos that contained some of the freshest, most dazzling beats that the label's posse had heard in years. Opting out of the race for the latest sequencer / processor / sound card that drives much IDM, Ralph is somewhat of a connoisseur of vintage analogue equipment. Utilising just an old four track cassette recorder, a drum machine, a sampler, an ye olde synth and valve compressor, Ralph has conceived a striking and original debut. Think of the viral dub spaces of Mad Professor, the DIY intimacy of Third Eye Foundation or the brain-teasing beat programming of Afx, all with live interventions on trombone, theremin and cowbells (always a good combination!) and you're nearly there.