Mr. Carmack shows off his adeptness for organic experimentation on 8-track ‘Demolish’ EP

Bass conduit Mr. Carmack has done it again. An exalted figure in the underground bass scene, he’s known for pushing the boundaries of experimental sound while retaining his hallmark hip-hop swagger. Mr. Carmack often operates in mysterious ways, floating in and out of the festival scene at will and dropping insanely good projects on a seemingly random basis. This is one producer who’s got a creative flow that feels as natural as a circadian rhythm. Fans are always eager to witness one of his legendary live sets (most recently at Coachella’s DoLaB in April) and always hungry for any new releases.

After a long hiatus since any cohesive solo release, Mr. Carmack has tip-toed right back into the spotlight with his brand new short-form effort, Demolish. The tone is set immediately as he enlists sound design savant Mike Gao for the intro, a rambling yet meticulous exercise in analogue synthesizer experimentation. From there, the project instantly descends into his traditional head-nodding, face-scrunching bass beats.

However, there’s more in store this time, as he’s clearly made the extra effort to push his sound design further than it’s been before. Gone are the days of a simple 808 subwoofer filling up the low end; this project is filled with expertly crafted low-end sounds that stroll heavily along, punctuating each track with a feeling of living, breathing bass. “Wagyu Beef 1” is a prime example of this and showcases how his sound has evolved while retaining that familiar Carmack feeling.

The world of bass music seems to be getting darker and heavier, and tracks like “misha is fucking pissed” are reminiscent of the sound of analogue synth master EPROM and his work with his revolutionary project Shades. The EP marches through its penultimate track with barely a backward glance before landing on the final song.

Barely a 90-second tune, “Goddamnit Golda” is simply an acoustic guitar, a live drum kit, a vocal sample, and a soft synthesizer. Leave it to Mr. Carmack to keep us guessing at every turn, as this one is wildly incongruous with the rest of the EP; yet somehow, not out of place. Cryptically, his Soundcloud page featuring the last track of the EP promises “Rebuild EP up next.” We can only hold our breath with giddy anticipation to wait for what the mastermind has in store.