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12"
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AUS 184EP
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Otik drops the four-track Xoul Trap EP on Will Saul's Aus Music. Otik, aka Ashley Thomas, has been steadily making himself known as one of the finest exponents of leftfield UK club music since his debut in 2013 through a string of heavy releases on the likes of Midland's Intergraded, Martyn's 3024, and his own Solar Body imprint. Arriving now on Aus Music, the London-based DJ/producer brings a set of atmospheric, breakbeat-laden techno tracks for his first appearance on the label. "Xoul Trap" kicks off the A-side with moody vocal chops, emotive pads, and thunderous kicks combining to form a hair-raising late-night affair. Following is the shuffling "Temptress", which sees sharp and detailed percussion fuse with dusty chords and speaker-rattling subs. On the flip, "Inertia" begins with a pumping 4/4 pattern as washed-out synths reverberate alongside shining plucks and warm, inviting low end. "Unorthodox" sees shimmering leads swirl around choral samples and UK Funky-tinged drum hits, rounding out yet another standout record from both Otik and Aus Music.
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12"
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K7 415EP
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45RPM. Hailing from Bristol and based in London, Ashley Thomas routinely passes the storied music heritage of both cities through his own singular, prismatic filter. As Otik, he produces brilliant and complex hues, forming compositions from weightless neon-tinged trails, richly layered melodic webs and inky, subaqueous bass lines. The prolific artist recently created his own imprint, Solar Body, to accommodate the expanse and volume of his unfettered productions; now with his !K7 Record debut, Otik deepens his sonic explorations for the label he credits as a crucial discovery portal. "Crystal Clear" is inspired by a personal epiphany, and it shines through with sparkling clarity. With the unmistakable signifiers of dancehall in its bassline and drum programming, Thomas turns these references outwards and upwards, finding a new expression with glistening drops of cosmic color, gauzy pads, and soft crescendos of cymbals. Despite coming in hard and fast with a bruising 130BPM bass rhythm "Rainbow Rhythm" evokes a positively disorienting kaleidoscope for Thomas, courtesy of its sugary, euphoric synth sounds. It is a balance of hard and soft, leading heavily with drums throughout, contrasted with the track's delicate and sweetly warped melody.
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12"
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LDN 074EP
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London-based Otik presents four original productions on vinyl plus a remix by Blackdown. Collectively they are weighty contributions to the space emerging between techno and bass music being forged by labels such as Timedance, Hessle Audio, 3024 and Ilian Tape.
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12"
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DURK 014EP
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London-based producer Otik steps up with his debut 12" for Bristol imprint Durkle Disco. Both tracks gleefully nod to the past by channeling the darker end of UK garage, Detroit's industrial moodiness and the dusty depths of early dubstep. Remix duties for Acne Downs EP go to Caski. Otik has been steadily building a reputation for forward thinking, genre-bending sounds around the 130bpm mark. In addition to his regular Radar Radio show, recent releases have graced Dusky's 17 Steps imprint, Infinite Machine, and Push & Run.
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