Bristol-based house producer Outboxx emerged earlier this year with a pair of 12” releases for Immerse and Well Rounded Housing Project, and this latest double A-side 12” for Idle Hands collects together two new tracks that both lean distinctly towards soulful, after-hours oriented atmospheres. On the A-side, ‘Aporia’ sees liquid soul-jazz keys and subtle wah-guitar inflections dripping opulently over shimmering synth ambience and a lithe, airy backbone of skipping, off-beat house rhythms that recalls one of Recloose’s more lustrous moments, Fender Rhodes keys entering halfway through alongside murmuring analogue bass synth figures. On the flip, ‘Cromwell’ gets a bit more propulsive whilst still maintaining the deep chill factor, as an elastic bass synthline plays off against smooth, pressurised snares and trailing ambient pads, ghostly piano keys injecting a sense of soulful grandeur that nicely balances out the glittering synthetic atmospheres. Smooth, classy stuff that goes down easily.
Chris Downton
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