Scott Kungha Drengsen is an accomplished bassist. It is readily apparent that he cut his teeth on rock & roll. Basscapes, however, demonstrates that he has gone, to paraphrase Dr. Seuss, On Beyond Zebra. This CD is a set of processed-bass -- and nothing but processed-bass -- compositions. Using a six-string fretless bass and an acoustic bass, Drengsen has replicated sounds of "guitars, sitars, chimes, steel drums, keyboards, strings, animals, spaceships, and exploding stars." Four of the nine tracks are bass solos that he recorded live in his studio. He used a foot-operated sequencer to create layering and looping effects. That's a ton of data that entices listeners. The music captures listeners! Drengsen builds his massive soundscapes from the ground up. The bass has a natural drone and Drengsen's processing plays to that and generates billowing atmospheres. The simplicity is in the intricacy and the intricacy is in the simplicity. It is a very cool disc. It seems to be the predecessor to the processed efforts of Jim Fink and Scott Petito. Fans of Bill Laswell, Jeff Pearce, Chris Short, and Alan Imberg will also relate.