One of the best shows I've seen in the last 5 was seeing Bitchin Bajas in downtown Baltimore at a short lived venue called EMP Collective with friends Wume. I don't recall how long their set was, but with ambient/new age/kosmische performances can be boring, but not B B, it was engaging, and breezed by in a blink of an eye, I lost time during it and came out full of joy, and I bought this tape. Alot of times, with this sorts music, I have no idea actually how well known they are but to me Bitchin Bajas are under appreciated, over the course of their discography they have honed their craft slowly but surely, that culminated in this FANTASTIC album that is so dynamic and accessible to anyone, not just music nerds! And the title of the record shows they are not so self serious like alot of music like this is. The elements at play here are kosmische, new age, ambient and some spiritual jazz that all wind and flow through 7 tracks of equal measures of calm and excitement. The main thing aside from the songwriting that really came together on this record was the production. Its keeps things engaging, dynamic, immersive and its so well mixed, but not to the point of sounding sterile. The real stand out here is "Angels and Demons At Play" with its soft pulse, droning synth and flute floating around the mix, its such a weirdly playful and catchy song. The opener "Jammu" also really sets the stage for the whole LP, the ever evolving track shows the new found studio confidence. The synths bob and weave for first half, building till this flute loop jumps in the mix, and than soars into some truly blissed out shit. Along their whole discography they have explored so much and are restlessly artistically, thats why they are under appreciated. Bitchin Bajas also have another record that is great, its their collaboration with Bonnie Prince Billy and its a perfect companion piece to Bajas Fresh. Both records have been their for me in recent years, especially when I first moved to LA. Lots of driving around in a car, alone, and these records would smooth over my anxieties about driving in a new city. In the words of BPB "despair is criminal ah haaa ah haaa".
https://bitchinbajas.bandcamp.com/album/bajas-fresh
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