Box Clever‘s latest release comes from studio supergroup Cymatic, which consists of the heavily underrated duo of Ruckspin and Quantum Soul, as well as recent drum n’ bass upstarts Octane & DLR. Following up on last year’s solid ‘Electric Church’/’Jungle Fever‘, this new 10″ extends Cymatic’s experimentalism into open territory.
Ruckspin and Quantum Soul have worked tirelessly in the past few years, both together and on a solo tip, racking up numerous collaborations with Jack Sparrow, Reso and Visionz. Their own mystical brand of atmospherics, percussive beat ups and heavy- handed bass have underpinned some serious tunes over the years – including ‘Give’, ‘Shikra’, ‘Hornz’ and ‘Dread’.
Octane & DLR have also caused a stir in the past year, releasing tunes on Black Box, Subtitles and Renegade Hardware.
Last year’s Cymatic studio mix quietly set the stage for their progression, and proved the group had already notched up a wealth of eccentric material. Box Clever is therefore an appropriate home for their eclectic, heavy vibes.
‘Glue’ is subbed-out, and airs Middle Eastern atmospherics and percussion against a galloping drum track. Wiggling basslines dot some deep nooks and crannies, all in pursuit of an increasingly open space. Eastern vibes twang above slurping bass that swaps within a blink. ‘Glue’ contains an authentic clash of tribalism and the urban, as arren, exotic lands heavily inspire the vibrations here, which truly proclaim music as “the glue of the world”
‘Hound Dog’ pushes several envelopes, and flaunts countless opportunities for the lumbering nature of halfstep. It comes off a heavier, groove-laden offshoot of Deep Medi’s Old Apparatus. It’s an idea that sits well for the headphone listener, as it’s dense composition is constantly on the move.
There’s a lot going on within this track, with a multitude of samples in the mix, but ‘Hound Dog’ manages to hold itself together under extreme pressure. It’s littered by Ruckspin’s trademark percussion and Quantum Soul’s ripping bass, and is complemented well by Octane and DLR’s intermittent breaks. One can truly see all four producers hard at work on this number.
As a unit of two duos, Cymatic has something undeniably fresh on their hands, as this quadrangle of dubstep and drum n’ bass producers lock horns. Their mark on the sound will, without doubt, inspire a handful of others to further the ideas expressed here, as they are still clearly in open-development. That’s what makes this release so intriguing – Cymatic certainly has a lot up their collective sleeve to come.