The Singles Jukebox

Probably the least chart-troubling of the TRP crop…

[Video][Myspace]
[6.57]

Alex Macpherson: Sabina Plamenova, aka Subeena, exemplifies the beyond-genre lateral thinking amongst the current wave of producers who use the spectrum of electronic club music as a toolbox from which to pick and choose. She’s used her background in dubstep as a jump-off point into grime, off-kilter soul and, on “Boksd”, gorgeously immersive techno which could slot easily alongside Border Community releases — and has excelled at everything she’s turned her hand to so far. Twinkling, frosty high-end sprinkles a trail of glitter and stardust; heavy bass creeps under the skin and warms the bones; and trippy, driving beats — a motorik rhythm gone awry — propel the body into motion.
[10]

Matt Cibula: Is “won’t o’ the wisp” an expression? Or did I just make that up to describe this?
[3]

Martin Skidmore: Laid-back dupstep of an almost ambient kind, with a plinky string figure over some very attractive bass sounds and diffident beats. It’s a bit too polite and modest to really grab me, but it’s very pleasant.
[6]

Ian Mathers: Tracks like “Boksd” always leave me a little nonplussed; there’s nothing boring or objectionable about the song as its playing, but there’s also nothing that makes it stand out for me against the myriad other instrumental, electronic tracks out there. And yet this is one of our TUNES RECOVERY PROJECT tracks, which means at least one of my Jukebox compatriots cared enough to lobby for its inclusion. That makes me suspect that there’s more to “Boksd” than I’m currently hearing, but if I don’t get it after a dozen listens, will I ever?
[6]

Melissa Bradshaw: A 23 year old Bulgarian-Italian woman comes with a fresh answer to the problem of where UK bass music goes after dubstep. The warmth, groove and 808 sounds reflect her love for Warp, but the overall fusion and the pretty clarity of her melodies are unique and intriguingly beautiful.
[7]

Rodney J. Greene: The synth arpeggios cascading one atop another are lovely. They do tend to wash over me if I’m not paying close attention, but I’m occasionally jolted out of my stupor and amazed at what I hear.
[7]

Michaelangelo Matos: I’m a perpetual sucker for pretty drift, especially with a beat, and this 12-inch by a 23-year-old London woman is no exception. It’s even got one of those silly crumbled-letters titles just so you know you’re not supposed to actually dance to it, though you might anyway. That’s partly because its drift isn’t as pronounced as its prettiness: it’s melodic not like a pop song but like a composition. She’s got others too, and I thank whoever suggested this for getting me interested enough to find out what that might be.
[7]