NEWSLETTER
IA MIX 387 BOX5IVE // APHEX TWIN SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS VOLUME II // MU TATE WANTING LESS // JACK J // JICHAEL MACKSON
IA MIX 387 BOX5IVE
INTERVIEW BY JASON CABANISS
For the 387th edition of the IA MIX Series, London-based ambient and experimental producer Box5ive to deliver the goods.
With a productive year culminating in the release of his debut album ‘Grey Space‘ on co:clear, a sparse, ambient tinged bass LP that blew our minds and remains one of our favourites of the year. With that record and scattered tracks for the likes of Well Street and Comic Sans, Box5ive is a burgeoning name in the ever expansive and adventurous world of UK bass, grime, and dubstep.
Box5ive’s mix explores contemporary independent club tracks, providing a glimpse at his peak time prowess from the comfort of your headphones. There are hints of bass and dubstep influences, but it’s woven in between prime dance fodder that works perfectly under strobe lights as the night morphs into the morning.
In addition to his stellar mix, Box5ive graciously answered questions about his musical influences and beginnings, current studio set up, and a look at some of his favourite London clubs.
FEATURE // DELVING INTO THE DEPTHS, DREAMS & DRONES OF ‘SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS VOLUME II’
WRITTEN BY JACOB BRAYBROOKE
Veering down the traditional ambient music route while taking a walk on the hardcore sides of the drone and minimalism genres to create a divergent tapestry of striking moods and sensitive atmospheres, Aphex Twin ‘Selected Ambient Works Volume II’ is a beloved classic of electronic music that was distinct and conspicuous to lovers of IDM despite feeling vastly different to the psychedelic music that Richard D. James’ counterparts were releasing due to its mostly beatless production and more liquidus pacing, propelling it to hit a peak of #11 on the UK Album Charts.
“A product of the Cornish myth-making tradition”, according to music journalist Jon Doran, this new age-leaning and multifaceted ambient-oriented landmark of an album release has been a significant product of the fan-centric discussion and debate culture that has been developed throughout the internet age. This is because SAW Volume II was, according to Mark Richardson of Pitchfork, one of the earliest examples of an album being eagerly anticipated, expected and voluminously discussed in detail using online communication.
Due to marking a drastic shift in techno and ambient music leaning towards darker drones and environmental themes, Aphex Twin’s fanbase were compelled to create a mailing list known as IDM (Intelligent Dance Music). Moreover, in the typical sense of wit and enigma for James, he refused to release track titles for the album. Therefore, the fluid basslines and oceanic reverb of tracks now beloved as ‘Stone In Focus’ and ‘Rhubarb’ have essentially been constructed into existence by the fans themselves based on vague images representing each track on a brown piece of paper found in every copy.
NEWS // JACK J LINES UP NEW ALBUM ON MOOD HUT
Two year since the release of his playful, simplistic and downright funky ‘Opening the Door‘ LP – #10 in our Best Albums Of 2022, Australian-born Vancouver-based multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and producer Jack J returns to his own imprint Mood Hut in November with his latest album ‘Blue Desert‘.
Spanning 11-tracks, the album was entirely self-produced at Mood Hut Studios in Chinatown, Vancouver between 2022 and 2024. According to the press release – “Blue Desert picks up where ‘Opening the Door‘ left off; the songwriting concise and refined, the voice front and centre on almost every song, the pensive mood irresistible and dense.”
The album release will be followed by a live tour in the UK and Europe during November and December 2024, featuring a string of dates opening for revered Los Angeles artist Jessica Pratt.
NEWS // ELECTRONIC BEATS WEEKLY PODCAST DISCUSS THE SHUTTERING OF BERLIN’S CLUB SPACES
Following closure announcements from two of Berlin’s most iconic clubs, Kreuzberg-based Watergate and Friedrichshain-based Wilde Renate, global music initiative Electronic Beats shed light into why clubs are closing at such an advanced pace with a 30-minute episode of their weekly podcast with Berlin-based DJ duo Surf2Glory, residents of Club Heart Broken and Venus Vessels.
And it’s not just Germany. In the UK, a study found that if nightlife continues struggling at the same rate. According to the Night Time Industry Association (NTIA) “Between June 2020 and June 2024, the UK lost 480 nightclubs, averaging 10 closures per month – or 2 per week. Alarmingly, the pace of closures has increased in 2024. Between December 2023 and June 2024, 65 nightclubs shut down, equating to 11 closures per month – or 3 per week.”
This rise in closures is devastating the UK’s late-night economy, particularly the dance music spaces that are the lifeblood of the scene.” – Some of these issues are perennial, but the reality is that “Clubsterben” is accelerating – even though there seems to be more money in nightlife than ever.
So what impact do these closures have on artists and audiences? Are clubs still hubs for musical and social communities? And what role does the internet and social media play in all of this? Surf2Glory talk about their experiences navigating through this shifting cultural landscape with hosts 0tt0 Kent and Juba.
RECORD FAIR // INVERTED AUDIO X PLAYS AT 45 RPM AT BRIXTON BREWERY TAPROOM // 26 OCTOBER (1-7PM)
Inverted Audio Record Store and Plays At 45 RPM team up to host a record fair at Brixton Brewery Taproom on Saturday 26th October (1-7pm). Marking our fourth record fair at Brixton Brewery Taproom, we’re excited to welcome seasoned South London record dealer Plays At 45 RPM to the fold, bringing their multi-prismatic record collection spanning; Dub & Reggae, Jungle & Drum n’ Bass, Hip-Hop, Soul & Jazz, Indie, New Wave.
REVIEW // MU TATE - WANTING LESS
WRITTEN BY WILL PATTERSON
Following up the release of ‘they’re with you always‘ in 2023 on 3XL & Utter, Latvian producer mu tate joins Bratislava-based record label Warm Winters Ltd. to issue his third album ‘wanting less‘ descending listeners into vaporous soundscapes and luscious atmospheres.
mu tate continues to produce glittering synths, blissful pads and head-muffling sub-bass, all cut through with elegantly applied field recordings. His new album opens with ‘your host’, to the sound of gently breaking electronic waves upon a soft shore of distant pads. Toms and snares rattle intermittently away in the background and barely perceptible rides glide right past the edge of consciousness, fading away into silence.
‘nocturnal’ turns up the melody dial a touch, with a quietly singing bass and a very Ilian Tape combination of crackling, creaking synths and recordings materialising out of the foggy sonic ether. ‘sweat’ provides more of the same, this time the bass providing something to hold onto amongst the gentle blizzard of bubbly synths and bleeping walls of pads, with shimmering rides almost providing what could be described as a rhythm. Each of these tracks will please the ear of those attuned to the more ambient offerings of Skee Mask and Andrea.
INVERTED AUDIO IN-STORE WITH KULTURE GAKLERI // FRIDAY 11 OCTOBER (6-9PM) // PECKHAM
London-based record label Kulture Galerie celebrate the release of their third vinyl compilation at Inverted Audio Record Store with label boss Filippo MSM, Caspa Mono and Cat Curl.
This is a great opportunity to get your hands on a copy of copies of 'Kulture Galerie Volume Three', packed with Trance oriented tracks from Rambal Cochet and The Mesmerist through the broken techno of Doc Sleep, Jack Bags’s all analogue Acid House track, The Jaffa Kid’s uncompromising Drexcian’s Electro and Undsidedly dreamy’s own take on the genre.
'Volume Three' has already harnessed support from DC Salas, Marcel Dettmann, Vladimir Ivkovic, Dave Harvey and more. The vinyl only in-store event is free to attend and commences at 6pm ends at 9pm. Free Beer courtesy of Brixton Brewery.
NEWS // PRINTWORKS GAINS PLANNING PERMISSION, HINTING AT POSSIBLE RETURN IN 2026
Finally some good news for London’s music community. South London-based superclub Printworks has gained planning permission from Southwark Council for the redevelopment of the former Harmsworth Quays printing press.
Located within a monumental redevelopment project by British Land, Printworks has gained permission for the “demolition, refurbishment and extension of the former Harmsworth Quays Printworks building to provide 18,820 sqm (GEA) of workspace (Use Class B1), 17,065 sqm (GEA) of cultural use (Use Class D2) and 2,154 sqm (GEA) flexible workspace/retail (Use Class A1-A4/B1) with associated car parking, cycle parking, landscaping, public realm, plant and associated works.”
MUSIC VIDEO // DOWNSTAIRS PEOPLE – SHOW YOU
Following the release of Downstairs People’s sophomore album on INDEX:Records in June, New Zealand-born now Berlin-based visual artist and director Sam W. Harper delivers an otherworldly music video for ‘Show You‘ filmed inside a 30 million year old cave system in Whangārei.
Simply titled ‘DSP’, Downstairs People’s album expands on their surreal horoscope of Top 40 musings, with nine works that explore the altered states of pop. DSP reimagines the FM Radio spectrum with distorted hooks, sour candy production and cascading vocal harmonies with no lyrics. Sung to us in an unknown language, it’s an archive of warped transmissions from beyond our solar system, conveniently recorded and presented as a flat, spinning monolith.
‘Show You‘ marks a musical collaboration between like-minded producers; Special Guest DJ, Ben Bondy, Hysterical Love Project, Black Snake Whip and Vase, resulting in a vaporous blend of downtempo hyper-pop and atmospheric electronica.
NEWS // JICHAEL MACKSON RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM ‘WAIT FOR IT’ ON ILIAN TAPE
After making music for three decades, Munich-based producer Boris Steffen drops his debut album as Jichael Mackson on Ilian Tape, marking one of the most anticipated album releases of the year.
Debuting in 2004 with an EP on Pastamusik, Jichael Mackson went on to release music through an array of German imprints including liebe*detail, Hartchef Discos, Stock5, RFR as well debuting on Ilian Tape in 2010 with ‘Plex‘ EP.
Most notably, Jichael Mackson released three EP’s on Musique Risquée, a Canadian record label co-operated by Vincent Lemieux, Marc Leclair aka Akufen and Scott Monteith aka Deadbeat – for a blast from the past, listen to the sublime ‘Sugar Hill Mountain‘ track from ‘Just In Time‘ EP (2010).
Spanning 13-tracks, ‘Wait For It‘ is certainly worth the wait, constantly shifting moods and tempos, shimmering with raw beats and enamoured atmospheres. Trust us, this album is exceptional.