Label: Joy Boks
Format: 12”
Release Date: 14/10/2013
Swedish producer Joy Boks released their debut EP ‘12113’ all the way back in October. However, given the little media attention received for this EP, and the meager 150 Soundcloud followers Boks has, we feel an obligation (nay, a duty) to promote this fantastic EP – quite possibly one of the best from last year and criminally overlooked.
The EP opens with the unapologetically heavy title track, ‘12113’. The track thunders along for over seven unrelenting minutes, powered by its propulsive, oscillating, low end, from which there is no respite.
'Ovissheten' stands in stark contrast to the opener, bravely adopting a beatless soundscape reminiscent of Tim Hecker’s ‘Harmony In Ultraviolet’. This provides a perfect calm between the intensity of '12113' and the final track, 'Yma'.
’Yma’ brings back the propulsive low-end that Joy Boks began with, but this time arpeggiated and percussive, giving a more dynamic feel altogether. The ominous arpeggio continues throughout, while other elements creep in and out of the mix as they please. This for me, is the standout track of the EP, and while I’m yet to hear it played out, it’s not hard to imagine the extent to which it could tear up the dancefloor when played at the right time. For these techno offerings on the EP, it’s the heavy thundering bass, changing fragmentarily as it progresses, that makes them stand out. ‘Yma’ does this best; it’s a true adventure.