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“Over here at Slime HQ we’re always on the hunt for new producers with a fresh take on garage, house or dubstep. One of the most exciting artists to come out of UKG in years is the Edinburgh-based producer Blackboxx. He came to our attention last year when we heard demos for some of the tracks that would formulate his debut EP with the label, ‘Sayonara’. We really loved every track on that release, but knew the stand-out ‘Words Just Ain’t Enough’ would really capture people’s imaginations. Sure enough it got a lot of love from fans of deep UKG and house, and was picked up in a mix by Hannah Wants – which only increased the hype.
What impressed us about Blackboxx was his considerable work ethic – he was always busy making new beats and the standard was consistently high. Right there and then we knew we’d want to sign him up for a second release, which became the incredible ‘Osaka’ EP. Deep garage has taken a bit of a back seat over the past year or so thanks to the cross-fertilisation of the UKG scene with deep tech and bass-heavy house, so it was incredibly refreshing to hear this collection of songs, intended as cycle, buck that trend. We’d argue it’s one of the strongest releases we’ve ever put out on the label.
What strikes us about Blackboxx the most though is his style isn’t rigid to garage – whilst it adheres to that template it absorbs so much of the goodness from house, techno and dubstep but sets it all into widescreen mode to generate some really cinematic, emotional resonance. We think he’s got a bright future in the scene so keep an eye out for more releases and remixes from him on Slime!”
Free Track | Free Mix | Osaka EP | Sayonara EP