Review: Ben Sun - The Henge (Razor-N-Tape)

Fans of big stones, soltices and salutations should turn towards Ben Sun's 'The Henge', the eight track album to rock your start of the new year.

The cover artwork by Ben is a cross between Led Zepplin's "mysterious" symbols, Tai Chi's extended yin-yang design with a test card surround.  Why? dunno, as this is as far from Chinese heavy metal TV repairs as you can get.

What it is close to is electronic dance that's ready for a sun set or a sun rise with a varying rhythms that's not consistently dark, moody, meditative or upbeat but manages to combine all in a conherent tapestry.

You get the idea from tracks like 'Autumn Phase' and the warped chant, acoustic boogie of 'Bootstand (Strange Soil)' the playfully percussive synth-up of 'The Khan's Reverie' and the "mixtape introduction", 'Living Things'.

Those lost is a tradition chinese folk and Christmas harp music, head for 'Moon Lion' (not too far for fans of Küf Knotz & Christine Elise's 'Yü / Cascade' - see review HERE) but we also like the beach sounds of 'Ten Thousand Shells' for some Balearics and the space bouncy 'Azha (The Nest)'.

'Photoelectric' is the big dancefloor tune and it's similar to Ben's last release on Razor-N-Tape, 'Distant Messenger EP' which came out about the time of his live ambient set at We Out Here Festival.  He's also had releases on Jimpster's Chyphon Recordings (as recently see with Loxodrome - see review HERE) and Delusions Of Grandeur (as recently seen with Son Of Hex - see review HERE) and 'The Henge' feels like a combination of all this, a electronic high point that's warming in so many ways.

No wonder fans as diverse as Linkwood and Laurent Garnier are on this already so they're well prepared for the next Summer Solitice.

Artist: Ben Sun

Title: The Henge
Release date: 17th January, 2025
Label : Razor-N-Tape.
Catalog Number : TBC
Format :  Digital / Bandcamp LINK The Henge | Ben Sun