2600 Recordings is a label I wish would release more, because every release so far has been sensational, original, and packaged to make each release feel very special. With so many labels though, the urgency to release as much as possible to raise their profile, often leads to a decline in quality, so I should be grateful that 2600 Recordings approaches their art with high demands when it comes to fresh, original, and truly exciting music. The catalogue is not extensive, a compilation, Buddy Peace mix CD, and three previous bespoke 7†vinyl singles, Excavated being the fourth in the 7†series. Each 7†vinyl release has contained the cream, with extra’ given as the whole extended EP as a high quality digital download, and the packaging ties everything together with a true DIY ethic, creating a hunger for one of the limited quantity musical packages.
Aupheus has built quite a name for himself, albeit to the savvy listener and music enthusiast, honing his skills with London based hip hop crew Dedfires, releasing a self released solo debut, Descent, in 2006 to critical acclaim. Winning the Buck65 remix competition in 2007, Aupheus caught the attention of Strange Famous Records in the US, working with Sage Francis and again with Buck65 for the Dirtbike album trilogy. Excavated serves up eight tracks of moody instrumental hip hop, drone and ambience, drawing comparisons to early DJ Shadow, DJ Signify, and the more ambient leanings of labels such as Type and Static Caravan.
“Excavated†hints at the DJ Signify comparison with gritty beats, moody, eerie and provocative atmospheres, evoking a soundtrack to a brutal and confronting thriller. “Insectoidâ€, which is edited for the 7†vinyl, makes reference more to early 90′ UK electronic experiments, while “Exoskeleton†sounds more like a hybrid of future debstep and Autechre style IDM. “Fourth Dimension†picks up where “Excavated†left off, a slow bubbling moody tension evoking ambience swirling around the beats, the backing of drone borrowing from past sonic experimenters such as SPK. “Sons Of Horus†acts as a nice minimal interlude to the second 7†cut, “Frozen Surfaceâ€, again referring back to Warp Records with its icy moods and intricate dissolving melodies, keeping his gritty, slightly distorted drums at the fore to pull the listener from the murky depths. “Afterlife Empire†and “Three Thousand Years Of Sleep†close the EP with warm and conforting ambience, the menace left behind.
Due for release on 24 May, with only 250 copies of the 7â€/download package, it will be promoted with an animated video by Aupheus himself, and two free remixes by Buddy Peace and Regolith. This is yet another essential purchase; the quality is nothing short of outstanding, pushing Aupheus as a producer to watch, and 2600 Recordings as one of the few remaining truly independent exciting labels. Essential.
Wayne Stronell
