[Apple Pips]

Apple Pips have spent their first five records mining the area between techno and dubstep, releasing 12″s from established techno vets and some of dubstep’s biggest, freshest names. Appleblim, however, is not content to stick with a single sound, and the latest records from his Bristol-based label bring even more genres into the melting pot. Their sixth comes from Brackles, a man earning lots of attention for both his fantastic DJing and his productions as well. Brackles has previously collaborated with Shortstuff, but his first completely solo 12,” “Get a Job,” brings in a totally different sound to the Apple Pips camp.

The title track is loaded with 2-stepping garage beats and what appear to be 16-bit bleeps and bloops, but are too full sounding to have been harvested from an old Super Nintendo. Arpeggios ascend quickly, only to be completed by distinct, higher octave blips. “Lizards” has a similar sound profile but comes at you harder, with more squelching synths and hushed white noise screams. Both are full-on garage swingers, quickly paced, though perhaps to a fault. That they clock in at under 5 minutes each is no sin, but I can’t help wishing they were be longer. The end of “Get a Job” in particular sounds like it could be the midpoint breakdown, leaving me compelled to rewind it. Regardless, there is something to be said for their terseness — something refreshing about Brackles’ short and to the point production. All in all, it’s another winner in a series of great releases from Apple Pips. With a first solo release that melds genres and keep listeners hungry for more, Brackles seems likely to climb the ranks quickly and end up in many must-purchase piles.