An evolution of atmospheric drum and bass might best describe the Toronto duo Bleep. The songs of Robyn Sellman and Igor Olejar range from soft, vocal lullabies to distorted, frantic dirges reminiscent of the wide-range melodies of Curve and My Bloody Valentine. An excellent use of electronic mediums blended with more traditional instruments such as guitar and bass give their full-length album IMM 0008 a distinct sound that can stand apart from the synth-heavy bands that populate the electronic scene. Having made appearances at CMW, CBCs ZeD TV, as well as a Canadian tour, Bleep are ready to meet a wider audience.

Sliding through the super funky groves of Toronto’s electronic music scene, Bleep Offers up a collection of tunes on the recent release of their first full length CD, Imm 0008, that will not only keep your feet moving, but will also make you actually listen to the music. The duo from Toronto combine influences from a wide range of music, including trip-hop and drum’n’bass, and form them into complex and riveting rhythms that soar and dive, entertain and intrigue. On top of this, lay down some beautiful female vocals that would do Annie Lennox proud, and you have the makings of a disc that is sure to turn more than a few heads in the field. Vocalist Robyn Sellman was born in England and has a degree in sound engineering. Igor Olejar hails from Yugoslavia and is more of technical side of the pair. When together they create a mixture of sound and vocal and electronic barrage that began captivating audiences in 2001 and will continue to do so in the future. Judging from their schedule over the last year, Bleep is a band that likes to keep busy. Combine this with some of the accolades they have already garnered in their short history (including winners of the Next Level mp3 submission contest held by Umbrella Music, for which they won the manufacturing of their disc “Imm 0008”), and these two artists seem to be on the verge of taking the electronic music genre by storm. Everyone into this type of music would be well advised to keep the name Bleep in mind. Something tells me that you will be hearing of them again in the not to distant future. For those of us that might not have been that into this scene, or even know that much about it (and I, admittedly, fall directly into this category), this may be the perfect disc to introduce yourself to something entirely new and exciting. I know that I am certainly glad that I had the opportunity to!

Drum & bass beats, moody electro-lounge and shoegazing-influenced soundscapes colour the debut by Toronto’s Robyn Sellman and Igor Olejar, originally from England and Yugoslavia, respectively. Sellman’s smooth but dynamic vocal performance recalls the likes of Saint Etienne’s Sarah Cracknell and Kate Bush, clinching Bleep’s more organic, song-based side. However, prickly sounds and tough beats throw enough curves to nix any Everything but the Girl comparisons. Imperfect as any debut, sometimes with more skill than soul, this is nevertheless a strong, well-produced album for those with an ear for full sounds, bright lights and seedy shadows. 7.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)