- Appleblim and October are two key figures in Bristol's electronic music scene, both of whom are arguably more recognized for their behind-the-scenes action and curatorial skills than their own production careers, perhaps unfairly. They've also been proponents for the undercurrent of house and techno running deep underneath the city's dub currents. A collaboration between the two seems like a natural occurrence, then, but the result—the debut of new Bristol collab-focused label Schmorgasbord—is neither as polite nor as orthodox as you might glean from Appleblim's recent mixes or October's history of continental techno influence.
"NY Fizzzzz" is the more accessible of the two, but its highs are oddly smudged—as if something nasty and viscous were spilled all over the mixing board. Charging forward on a dominating and weighty kick pattern that's broken just slightly to give the track a curious limp, "Fizzzzz" builds up unconventional pressure and unexpected momentum as it hobbles along, propped up by piano chords that turn the track into some nightmarish vision of Masters at Work. On the other side, the even weirder "Fountains of Paradise" plays out like dBridge trapped in the basement, the crawling analogue basslines smothering the lower reaches as synths ring out mournfully. A sleek, metallic 2-step beat emerges but the beat stutters, stumbles and drags, an almost distracting rhythm that renders the track more frustrating than interesting. While the collaboration might appear logical, it fulfills the label's self-proclaimed mission for unusual results—for better or for worse.
Tracklist01. NY Fizzzzz
02. Fountains Of Paradise