Aphix - Ruby Grooves

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  • If you try to look up Aphix on Google, the search engine suggests "Aphex" instead. The Bristol artist hasn't picked an easy alias for himself, but in spite of the name similarity, Aphix's music sounds nothing like the Cornwall legend. Aphix debuted on Keysound's Certified Connections compilation last year, with a percussive corker that portrayed him as a newcomer to Bristol's crowded scene working with the same recipe—a pinch of techno here, a dash of drum & bass there, folded into something distinctly current. Ruby Grooves, landing on the adventurous Infinite Machine label, is Aphix's first full release, and it paints him as a competent disciple with hints of distinct personality. Ruby Grooves starts strong with "ED200," where a splotchy canvas of delay-drenched vocals and revving basslines gives way to a pounding drop driven by, oddly enough, a tabla sample. Its drum sound is key, and when paired with the severe, stop-start style, it gives the slamming track a unique tinge. He pulls the same trick on "Into Spheres," where dramatic strings weave in and out of a volatile drum pattern. The other two tracks are more in line with Bristol's at large: "Ruby Grooves" floats on a drum track ripped out of the Peverelist playbook, while "Trick Or Truth" lets loose a flurry of dive-bombing basslines on its hectic beat.
  • Tracklist
      A1 ED200 A2 Ruby Grooves B1 Into Spheres B2Trick Or Truth
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