Ping Trace – Traces EP

Downtempo electronica duo Ping Trace use computer technology and ethereal female vocals to create easy-going, loungy trip-hop that lands somewhere between the sublime dubby beats of Thievery Corporation and the groovy techno-jazz of Nightmares On Wax.

Traces incorporates everything you would expect from an EP touted as electronica, downtempo and lounge. The production is crisp and clear, the delicate synth lines supply atmosphere, the smooth bass lines provide a silky backbone that bolsters the chilled out grooves, and there’s enough tempo changes and fluffy electronic textures to keep things interesting.

But where Ping Trace really shines is when the tempo picks up a bit and a more reggae-dub influence is allowed in as the celestial vocals waft on top. Such is the case with “Solace”. After instrumental opening track “At Ease”, with it’s slick beats, soft bell tones and glitchy scratches, “Solace” erupts with a quicker beat, swirling synths and atmospheric vocals.

The remaining three tracks “Illumination”, “One More” and “Fall Away”, while incorporating similar ingredients, never quite reach the invigorating mix of “Solace”. “Illumination” is an instrumental track similar to “At Ease”. “One More” and “Fall Away” use more of the soothing vocals but the music is more subdued and leans more toward the groovy jazz end of the downtempo spectrum, with a few discriminating and fluttering electronic effects.

Ping Trace do not break any new ground or push this genre’s boundaries. They simply use an established downtempo musical blueprint to create an EP that will neither wow the listener nor will it disappoint.