Offworlder by Bite The Wax Tadpole

Around twenty five years ago I started to dabble in home recording, got my first DAW and a few bits of other software, and started to muck about with samples and beats. I put the resulting tracks into an album called Lozenges, called myself Bite The Wax Tadpole, and largely forgot about it. This was pre-streaming and social media of course, so no one really got to hear it until I discovered Bandcamp. It's a collection of tracks built on samples mostly, with some silliness built in. Very random, quite limited, amateurish, experimental in my own way. I was a complete beginner back then so I've mostly forgiven myself.

Since then I've been concentrating on other things, but about five years ago I got some new gear so accidentally started mucking about with beats again. A dance music producer I am most definitely not so most of my efforts ended up in the recycle bin, but every now and then I made something that I couldn't forget about. Now, I love electronic music (obviously) but listen to mostly ambient based music, and usually the two don't mix. I think the term IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) was coined to attempt to fill the gap between hardcore dance music and something a little more subtle that you can just listen to. I'm not sure I like the term much, it implies a sense of superiority which I don't agree with, especially as I've spent a long time (on and off) over the years trying to replicate the best known dance anthems and dance-floor filling club classics, and it's extremely difficult. But if IDM means beat and groove based music with lush complex chords, sparse vocals, and a dreamy vibe, then IDM kind of fits the bill. Aphex Twin did quite well with it.

So anyway, after years of occasional tinkering I managed to put an album's worth of music together that I am happy to listen to, so here it is for your aural perusal. Some of these tracks will be familiar to some of you – a couple were included in the May/June 2024 Cousin Silas Emporium Project “Let's 'Talk' About The Beat In Ambient (And Beyond)” series, and others have a familiar style. Hopefully this BTWT album is a little better thought out, coherent, and balanced than my first attempt.

As always, huge thanks to family and friends for supporting me in my musical endeavours, my great friend D York for casting a critical ear over some of the draft versions, and Chris Bilton for the use of his incredible digital art. Love to all x

I have been making music in one form or another since the mid-1970s, but only started experimenting and creating electronic music at the turn of the millennium. Bite The Wax Tadpole was my first project, but I also play the bass professionally and record and tour throughout the year (viruses allowing). I now release ambient electronic and field recording music under my own name.

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