Brackles has been one of the most prominent figures in the rapidly mutating post-dubstep scene, consistently plundering new territory as an in-demand DJ, producer and label owner. Thriving off the amalgamation of sounds and cross-pollination of scenes that we have seen in the last eighteen months or so, he has breathed fresh life into the bass music scene through his unique confluence of elements of dubstep, UK funky, garage, grime and house.  

Releases on Apple Pips, Berkane Sol and Planet Mu amongst others have explored his frenzied forward-thinking sound, combining frenetic rhythms and hyperactive synth-saturated melodies, while his DJ sets and Rinse FM shows consistently showcase the wealth of good music available at the moment, all pulled together by his incredibly tight mixing skills.

Having offered up a plethora of quality mixes for the likes of FACT and XLR8R, Brackles is now set to drop his first commercially available mix in the form of Songs For Endless Cities Vol.1 via new K7 affiliated label Cool in the Pool on August 31st. This new mix series is an exploration of the post-dubstep bass music landscape, reveling in the newfound freedom as it strives to break loose from the reductive concepts of scene and genre. As Brackles explains:

"My instruction was to draw together everything that has been going on since people started getting into funky and house and Flying Lotus style hip hop beats after dubstep. I know there are a lot of people like Hackman, Geiom, Shortstuff and my brother who were all into dubstep but then ended up getting into different things which all stemmed from it. So it is looking at all those different musics and bringing them together."

The final result is a sprawling, encompassing look at some of the most exciting electronic music to come out over the last couple of years, taking in a vast spectrum of sounds from the astral house of Floating Point's Peoples Potential through the mutant funk of Martin Kemp's irresistibly catchy No Charisma to the slick and soulful 2-step of Deadboy's If U Want Me.

Brackles manages to dissect the extensive backdrop of contemporary bass music and stitch it together with a storyline that both highlights the diverse array of talent and brings together the common elements inherent to all of it. Allowing the tracks to play for longer than you may have previously heard from Brackles' mixes, this really is all about the music, making sure that each track gets to shine both individually and as part of the greater context.

The tracklisting gives weight to some of the bigger names around at the moment with tracks from the likes of Flying Lotus and Kyle Hall, but also gives an airing for a number of lesser known producers who you will undoubtedly be hearing more from in the near future like DJ Dom, Breach and Funkineven.

"I guess it is where I am at now and what I have been representing for the last couple of years", he explains,  "but it is definitely not just playing all my dubplates or whatever, it is tunes that I think will last."

The mix also documents Brackles' own discovery and musical progression over this time period, showcasing a more soulful and deeper sound. "I play a lot of Eglo records stuff and house... Kyle Hall and that whole deep house thing that I never even really knew about until a couple of years ago. A lot of funky as well."

This progression does not just represent his selection either, rooting itself in his own productions too. Blo, the only one of his own tracks to feature on the mix, is less jittery than previous productions, while still maintaining all of the energy. Swelling synths, shimmering arpeggios and a tidy house groove propel Blo maintaining the staples of his sound palette and rhythmic arrangements while drawing them into a more subtle and progressive arrangement.

"I have slowed down, I'm not really working at 140bpm anymore, I'm working at 130, 125 and yeah, I'm definitely getting a bit more soulful in my own productions," he explains.

He is remaining tight-lipped about what we can expect from him over the coming months, but he is willing to give away that "there is something big on the way", so be sure to keep your ear to the ground for details of that surfacing.

It is also all stations go at his label Blunted Robots, with some exciting material waiting in the wings. First up will be a collaboration between him and Shortstuff called Good Foundations which will feature a remix from house don Doc Daneeka on the flip. This will be followed by Sunflowers by DJ Dom which you can hear on the mix.

 

Words: Sam Collenette

 

 

Get a free mp3 of Brackles' track Blo here

 

Brackles' Blunted Birthday on Rinse.FM by bluntedrobots

• Brackles

Related Links:

• Brackles Launches New K7 Mix Series
• Shortstuff & Brackles On Blunted Robots
• Loopmasters DJ Mix Tools
• Blunted Robot Profile
• Bullet Train Mixed By Marco Del Horno

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