Friday 13 December 2019

Review: The Next Big Swing - Tuxedo Junction


Yesterday’s date will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most miserable in recent British history, but as an eternal optimist I’m intent on seeing the positives from day to day, and it just so happened that the 12th of December was also the release date of Tuxedo Junction’s latest EP, The Next Big Swing. This duo are showing real power in the scene right now, and presenting themselves as a force to be reckoned with, both live and on record. This EP represents their second release on Ragtime Records, after last year’s Swing, Shaken Not Stirred, and throughout, they continue to demonstrate their ability to impress.

The EP opens with ‘Mr. Business’, dropping you straight in with an upbeat rhythm over a brilliant walking bassline, which continues to build up to an archetypal Tuxedo Junction breakdown. I can already hear this being dropped at events like the Church of Love, and it’s sure to absolutely kill on the dancefloor. The track keeps on developing different ideas – including a nice gypsy jazz section – and despite the use of a relatively short sample throughout, manages to maintain interest through various different explorations. Next up is ‘Mr. Burgundy’ – which brings a bossa nova flavour, alongside some flute samples reminiscent of Captain Flatcap’s playing on ‘Past Last Orders’ on their last release. Whilst I did enjoy the track, it’s definitely the weakest of the release; the repetitiveness, along with some strange mixing choices, make it sound a little unfinished overall.

Luckily we’re brought back up to the high standards with ‘Mr. Dick Sluts’, a song with a name to remind you of the silliness of the act. This track’s real strength lies in its basslines: it features some utterly filthy wobbles from start to finish, alongside some really jazzy walking bass, and also featuring the funkiest basslines cutting through throughout. Unexpectedly, I found myself slightly reminded of Caravan Palace’s latest release when listening to this one; whilst the song is very different stylistically, some of the rapid edits do seem rather similar to those found on Chronologic. Finally, the EP ends with ‘Mr. Brosnan’, a collaborative effort produced with Waggles and Hiphoppapotamus, who provide the samba fused with drum ’n’ bass rhythms. This song has a strong Latin groove to it, and whilst quite repetitive, it’s done so in an almost minimalistic manner, which is exactly what I feel they were going for – and it works. The slow build-up over the course of the song results in a practically atmospheric feel, which is a nice way to finish – making the release feel like a full experience.

Tuxedo Junction are capable of creating some absolute bangers. One of their first tracks – ‘Cufflinks & Caviar’ – remains one of my favourite tracks of the whole genre, and the recent release of their Ricky Martin bootleg has been anticipated like hardly anything I’ve seen before. They also manage to create some of the most enjoyable live mixes on a routine bases – see their recent Shambala mix for evidence of this. This EP is a fine addition to their catalogue. It’s not the best thing they’ve ever put out, and it doesn’t showcase them to the best of their ability, but it still places them in a very high ranking amongst their peers. If one needs cheering up on a day like today, they could do no better than a listen to this.

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