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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