The frenetic world of electronic music is full of distractions and diversions, hindering the ability to find transcendent music. Let Oggie James be your guru and lead down the path to musical Enlightenment.
Album, song and event reviews, mixtapes, and radio shows, light the way to Enlightenment, conveyed by Oggie James.
Whether it's with unexpected gems in the return of Grandtheft or anticipated releases like that of Culprate's Others, Fridays never disappoint. Today's Enlightened Listening includes an epic orchestral tribute to the first 15 years of legendary label Ed Banger, the second single from Haywyre in as many weeks, an A-Trak remix on Defected, Boy 8-Bit on RKS, a brilliant Night Bass package, what seems like Booka Shade's dozenth quality release of the year and another ingenious EP from Djedjotronic.
This weekend while watching the sunset at Paradise In The Park during Four Tet's spectacular set, a familiar and incredibly unique sound started to break through the mix. It was that of Boy 8-Bit's brilliant "Action Break," which led to a further rush of endorphins as the crowd and I all lost our minds led by the unearthly, disco android genius. Flash back two days before that and my mind was already on Boy 8-Bit as he tweeted about a Roska Kicks & Snares release, which I was sadly unable to find. But today that UK Funky twosome sat atop my Facebook feed with Youtube previews posted below.
The a-side, "Raw Square" sees Boy 8-Bit ease us in with his typical crunchy percussive breaks before his sensational synths join the jungle of sound. Slowly sprinkle in some cheeky vocal samples and splices, an additional layer of cool, underlying chords, mix them all up and we're quite literally laughing. But as always, the best bits of a Boy 8-Bit production come in the second half as we get the rebuild, replenishing each element with a more warped and potent punch. Sliding seamlessly through sounds, we get that great raw Boy 8-Bit ethos via sick synth squelches and crisp, crackling design, with a distinctly funky, human feel. That organic feel arises again in the b-side, this time with an alien allure.
Sharing much of the same DNA, "Fractal" is a touch more spacious, and more drum driven than its predecessor. It feels as though you're in the science lab aboard a space ship, with a collection of wild samples and crackling electricity as experiments take place. Again it shows Boy 8-Bit's brilliance in blending the lead line and breaks, mixing them back and forth, leading to the same effect on the dance floor. It oozes with this classic rave vibe, a crowded club as feet fly and hips move in every direction at once, all under the spell of this strange, supernatural synth strain. Get the genius concoction that is Raw Square / Fractal, released Friday on Roska Kicks & Snares via Bandcamp here.
