Bumbling Loons – Rumbling Toon

Bumbling Loons was formed by Flying Rhino veterans James Monro and Dick Trevor in 1997. For the next five years, they collaborated on several original tracks and prominent remixes, exploring the potential of the slow-building style that came to be known as progressive trance. Rather than throttle their listeners with wild acid lines and massive crescendos, Bumbling Loons operated on a more subliminal level, doling out small hints of a melody with calculated reserve. This is nothing new for those of us alive and enjoying music in the 21st century, but it was considered a fresh approach at the time. As with many of the old Flying Rhino projects, Bumbling Loons made no further releases subsequent to the collapse of that once mighty label in 2002.

Rumbling Toon, produced alongside Gus Till of Slinky Wizard, is a fine example of the sort of sneaky business Bumbling Loons were known for. Fat kicks, dirty rasping hi-hats, hypnotic synths, and snarling sound particles develop gradually over the course of nearly ten minutes. It seems deceptively sparse for much of that running time, but there is a crafty peak hidden in there somewhere—the “gotcha” moment.

Evolution takes Rumbling Toon in a completely different direction, emphasizing the melodic components of the original to create an energetic peak-time trance anthem. Under the direction of Cass Cutbush, who was label manager in the late nineties, Flying Rhino occasionally commissioned remixes from artists outside of the traditional confines of the psychedelic trance genre. A glance at Evolution’s discography reveals their more mainstream tendencies, but don’t hold it against them—this remix is surprisingly good. Smooth drums, elegant leads, and soaring builds accomplish what Bumbling Loons never intended in the original: an immediate ecstatic response. If one can appreciate “straight” trance as well as the more twisted variety, then this crowd pleaser is sure to go over well.

There you have it: another satisfying vinyl single from Flying Rhino. Bumbling Loons provide a solid piece of deeply resonant progressive psytrance while Evolution deliver a massive remix. If you prefer to sample these songs on CD, you may wish to look up Second Flight: Turbulence and Goa Head 8.