Shox At Juno Download

Review: Rinse FM's Shox drops the Aztec EP, the latest release to come from his own Hundred2ONE Recordings, and it's a typically far reaching effort from the young producer. "Aztec" is an exercise in impressively restrained and dark UK Funky; as a track it owes a considerable debt to the sounds of early grime, with a shrill 8-bit tone and shrieking synth melody which explore the darker corners of the genre. Wonder's remix of "Aztec" takes the track into even darker places, with a reworking filled with cavernous percussion, disembodied vocal snippets and oscillating bass which owes more to dubstep than the Funky of the original. The EP is rounded off with the genre-bending "218", a tense track that flirts with techno in its opening minutes, before transforming into a deadly Funky roller with dramatic string breakdown at the midpoint. Highly recommended for those who like their Funky a little more experimental.

Review: Having previously contributed two remixes for Roska's Kicks And Snares label, the UKF don gives the Rinse DJ a chance to flex out on his own with this ace new EP. Title tune "Battlestar" goes on a more techno-slanted voyage of dancing bleeps and thick 4/4 kicks, while "Hold Your Corner" punches in nicely on a funky/grime edge. Best of all though might be the upfront and bright "Pass Go", which recalls Funkystepz' kaleidoscopic arrangements but with a more Euro-friendly drive.