- Though it's been some time since Appleblim delivered a solo production, we know where he stands on music these days: his collaborations with the likes of Ramadanman and Al Tourettes, amongst others, give us a pretty solid framework for how he's calibrated his ears, as do his selections for his Apple Pips label. Marrying Appleblim's bass music roots with his predilection for techiness (if not always within a single release), the label has proved surprisingly consistent in both quality and style.
Komonazmuk, a veteran of one of Appleblim's most memorable collaborative pieces and a stalwart of Bristol's innovative dubstep scene, delivers Apple Pips' vision of dance music in commendably efficient form on his latest 12-inch and the label's 11th. The stuttering microsamples and filtery mids aren't the only sounds in place on "Dance Too"; that kinetic forward motion that's always been a mark of Appleblim's dubstep studio work is in place helping drive things along too. But Komonazmuk crafts a rather aggressive track where previous Apple Pips signings, using not dissimilar elements, went with techier, steppier fare. I appreciate the label skirting formula somewhat, but the result feels weighted down. Lee Jones, one of tech house's great remixers, sets to lightening the load by spreading it out over eight-and-a-half minutes. It's a valiant, funky effort by Mr. Jones, and the release as a whole ticks a lot of the right boxes. Regardless, it's an unfortunate plateau for the label as it starts it begins plowing towards release number 20.
Tracklist A Dance Too
B Dance Too (Lee Jones Remix)