MUSCLE MASS is an artist, or possibly a band, that I haven’t managed to locate any specific information about. I will have to assume that the person(s) behind this name prefers to stay anonymous, for reasons unknown. “Atrophy” is the sole production I know about by this artist, and was released by US label Silber Records as part of their conceptual “5 in 5” series of EPs.

The press blurb by Silber describes this music as energetic synth pop, and there I will have to disagree. Minimalistic electronica would be my description. The first of these 5 brief runs is an ambient creation sporting a swirling light toned synth over a light toned drone, which is followed by half a minute of sparse percussion, an insistent drone and a simplistic keyboard motif. The third composition stretch almost to the minute mark, with slow rhythms and dark toned synth surges with an echoing drone-like sound detail given a dominant spot and with a slight cosmic vibe. The fourth piece here is a 30 second long, ice cold synth pop inspired fragment, when this EP concludes with a 2 minute long affair that to my ears sounds not quite unlike an accessible variety of Tangerine Dream if not in style then at least in mood, and to some extent in approach as well.

An intriguing little EP this one, that probably warrants a check by those who tend to be fascinated by artists of this kind, the Tangerine Dream tinged concluding track perhaps a reason in itself to sample this one.

My rating: 76/100