Ian Body's DiN label is back with another Tone Science compilation with nine different modular artists and a range of compositions—from the intentional to the exploratory. As with all of DiN's releases there is a high bar for quality and a wide range of style. Tone Science No. 4 Form and Function presents a broad swath of modular aesthetic and takes the listener on a journey through airy and bouncy textures, to moody soundtrack-like vibes, to ominous droning horrorscapes. On the lighter side we have "Astral Plane" by Andrew Huang, a glittering, tape delay fueled textural piece underlaid by a slow and steadily building bass pad. Panic Girl's "Dream Portal" with its toy piano-like, plucky, and bell-like tones layered with snippets of dialogue and chatter, sounds of nature, of breath, and an understated bass line and rhythmic counterpoint. Lightbath's "Eternal Terrarium" brings bouncy, plucky tones with adept layering and interplay. Nice positive and intriguing vibe. Evolving from sparse to densely overlapping percussive wash. Tracks by Batchas, Tim Held, Steven Davis and Ebcidic sit somewhere in the middle ground between light and dark while thoroughly dystopian sounds are at the fore in Mattia Cupelli's "ex Machina." Form and Function is a wild journey and even though it's a compilation, it works well when listened to in one long, unbroken session.

din.org.uk