In The Box - March

Bit late on this, but better late than never as they say...

1) Mixworks – Persistence EP // Mixworks
Ridiculously good 12” from the previous unknown Mixworks outfit with three tracks of solid grooves and mindblowing melodies. ‘Berlin Dub’ is a boompty dub houser that's guaranteed to rock any floor to its foundations, whilst ‘Believer’ is a trippy minor chord skipper (those hats!) to get the heads wiggling in the early morning. It closes with ’50 Degrees’, a warehouse banger which reveals its heart melding melody two thirds of the way though without losing any of the jack. I know I’m a bit late on this one but I only just managed to find myself a copy – pick one up if you still can.

Listen:
Mixworks – Persistence EP // Mixworks

2) Peverelist – Infinity Is Now / Junktion // Tectonic
Once again, local boy Tom pisses all over the competition with two massive tracks for Pinch’s Tectonic label. The futurist stepping techno of ‘Infinity Is Now’ is one thing, but the bassline on ‘Junktion’ is some seriously heavy shit that has to be heard to be believed. Make sure to check out the trippy lock groove at the end.

Listen:
Peverelist – Infinity Is Now // Tectonic
Peverelist – Junktion // Tectonic

3) The Mole – As High As The Sky // Wagon Repair
I was expecting this to be good before I’d even heard it, but once I started listening I was absolutely blown away. From spooky techno groovers that make you bump in the night, through to jazzy house groovers in a Theo vein, it’s a great ride from start to finish and it’ll be getting a lot of play round my gaff this year.

4) Kode 9 vs Badawi – Den Of Drumz // Roir
Banger alert! The Kode 9 remix on this one is a pulsating ethnic pumpfest that will be staying in my box for a fair while, I reckon.

Listen:
Kode 9 vs Badawi – Den Of Drumz // Roir

5) Equalized – 001 // Equalized
It’s all about the B on this mysterious Hardwax affiliated 12”, marrying all that’s great about Detroit techno and Detroit house into one clinically produced whole. Flip over for an austere minimal house swinger that’s most definitely both minimal, and house.

Listen:
Equalized – 001 A // Equalized
Equalized – 001 B // Equalized

6) V/A – 4th Bouquet // Styrax Leaves
As ever with Styrax, the quality is high on this one with cuts from both Quantec and Leftover from the Statik camp taking up one side, and Dial boss Lawrence sharing the A with newcomer Haventepe. The latter has only had his stuff released on mp3 labels previous to this point, but if he’s going to keep churning out smooth synth swellers as good as ‘Air’, we’re in for a treat. I heard it played by Cle near the end of Sunday evening’s proceedings in Panorama and it was like having an aural bath. As is the usual with the decent Styrax stuff, this’ll probably turn up on Discogs in a few months at double the price, so I’d pick it up sooner rather than later if I was you.

Listen:
V/A – 4th Bouquet // Styrax Leaves

7) Noze – Songs On The Rocks LP // Get Physical
Noze go pop, in their own inimitable way. The result is a wildly adventurous and entertaining romp that encompasses skippily jaunty techno-pop, eerie cinematic epics, yearning Waitsian (Tom, that is) bar room rants, and much more over its nine song duration.

8) V/A – Computer Incarnations For World Peace II sampler // Sonar Kollektiv
Four great tracks on here, but my favourite is Project Sandro’s ‘Blazer’ - a laid back groover with beautifully intertwined synths and a hypnotically deep bassline.

Listen:
V/A – Computer Incarnations For World Peace II sampler // Sonar Kollektiv

9) Claro Intelecto – Rise // Modern Love
Also well worth checking is his latest full length ‘Metanarrative’, but this one sider is simple but devastatingly effective late night techno for when everything’s gone a bit too wrong...

Listen:
Claro Intelecto – Rise // Modern Love

10) Marlinspike – Bongo Rocka / Climate Control // Marlinspike
Skull Disco meets Blade Runner on ‘Bongo Rocka’, and Detroit synths float over the low key stepping vibes of ‘Climate Control’ (which you can hear on the Trackwerk mix below). I’ve already heard the next two twelves, and trust me – they’re as good as this one.