July 30th, 2009 
Brandon 
Artist: The Bionic Megaz
Album: Bits And Bytes EP
Genre: Experimental/Improvisation
Label: Stillmuzik (France) (Indie)
1. Quasars
2. Late Night Lights
3. 8753
4. Space Station
5. Travels
The Bionic Megaz are an experimental and improvisational group consisting of Johnny Cozmic (keyboards, synthesizers), Van Ark (electronic drums, drum and sound modules), and Mr. Davis (synth bass, keyboards).
Van Ark handed the Bits And Bytes EP to me and asked what kind of vibe it gave me. I found it hard to respond, without stumbling over words, because there is not one characteristic that The Bionic Megaz’ sound could be labeled without starting a debate. It sounds almost as if it is a mesh up of techno, drum and bass, hip-hop, rock, and pure imagination.
I was informed that all of these tracks were composed live and based on mere improvisation. For sake of this review, I classified their music as experimental and put most traditional music elements toward the back of my thought process as I listened to the album.
Quasars
Quasars kicked off the EP with some powerful synths and well distinguished kick drums. I was almost overwhelmed with the rapid tempo and spacey effects used throughout the entire song. I would not exactly label the genre of this song as techno, but it could definitely deserve a genre of its own.
Late Night Lights
From the first listen until the last listen, I can sense the hip-hop inspiration this song has. The rapid hats and the echo-filled snares set the pace for this spaced-out track that features brilliant synths. Late Night Lights is a perfect track for any hip-hop radio remixes out there that seeks a techno flavor.
8753
I felt that this song had much more techno influence than the first two songs and I could definitely sense the West Coast hip-hop influence that the synth was whistling. Again, this could easily be another hip-hip radio remix for maybe an artist like Justin Timberlake or Cassie. This song threw me for a surprise!
Space Station
Space Station is by far my favorite song on the EP. The synths are very dark and make the listener fill devious…I love it. If I had to place this song, I would use it as a theme song for some sort of vigilante cartoon show like Spider-Man or Iron Man. This song screamed 2003 to me, as in something I recall hearing from MTV—before they completely stopped playing music.
Travels
The key characteristic that makes Travels stand out is the distinctive keyboard providing the backdrop to this perfect space-age story telling track. This song is a perfect way to end the EP and features a very smooth and futuristic vibe. This song could be an instant classic if it had the right vocalist over it. Maybe some sort of Euro-Pop sensation? We’ll see…
Overall, I feel as if the Bits And Bytes EP is a breath of fresh air. From the creative standpoint, I would throw this EP on if I wanted to think outside the box or if I wanted to spark inspiration to breakaway from a case of writer’s block. I am very thankful that I had an opportunity to listen to this album.
If you found this review helpful and would like to experience this crazy style of improvised sound, please visit www.myspace.com/thebionicmegaz.
Written By: Brandon “Venamis” Folsom – www.twitter.com/venamis
Score: 7.5/10
- FREE: Willie The Kid – The Fly Mixtape - September 15, 2009
- Tony Moon to release two new projects - September 15, 2009
- Live In The Cafe EP Snippet Video released by Van Ark - September 14, 2009
Posted in 
Tags: 