Jupiter EP
About
2013 was another exceptional year for Will Saul’s ever-consistent, no-nonsense Aus Music imprint. As well as records from the increasingly familiar family fold - Dusky, Bicep, Midland, Sei A, Leon Vynehall - a new batch of producers stepped in as the label welcomed debuts from both Huxley and Glimpse, along with the return of fellow West Country resident, Komon (Kieren Lomax). It’s that strong Somerset connection that continues to play a role in Aus’ output, as the first release of 2014 sees the Bristolian pairing of Appleblim (Laurie Osborne) and Komon join forces once again on the ‘Jupiter EP.’ Appleblim, along with partner Sam Shackleton, together made up Skull Disco, the mid-2000 label-cum-collaborative project that was rightly regarded as one of the most adventurous and aesthetically complete enterprises to come out of the formative years of dubstep. Since Skull Disco’s demise in 2008, Osborne has been running his current label, Apple Pips, which continues to curate a robust release schedule that lays its roots in the joining of dots between the deep, sub-focused textures of early dubstep and the classic house and techno sounds of Detroit and Berlin. Venturing out earlier in 2013 together on “Gas Jam/Silencio,” both Komon and Appleblim struck up a productive working relationship that saw them detailing an altogether more House-influenced direction, rich in texture and full of clarity. This influence and shape-shift in direction was also clearly audible on Komon’s solo Aus release of last year, ‘Walk the Walk,’ which laid down something of a new blueprint for his future productions. With this new EP, the pair steer left-of-centre, by way of bumping house, coloured with a low-swung boogie, rinsed in ’80s New Wave nostalgia, and underpinned by the brooding swagger of thundering sub bass. Aus Music non-stop.