REFLEX BLUE Vinyl & CDs

Review: FUSE London may be 16 years old, but this 12" inch is - somewhat remarkably - the label's first multi-artist EP. To kick-start their new compilation style series, the much-loved imprint has gathered up a quartet of cuts from an eye-catching array of artists. Heist regular Nachtbraker steps up first with 'Banda', an intergalactic-sounding hybrid of tech-house, deep house and nu-disco sounds, before Rob Amboule steals the show with the bleeping electro-meets-twisted electronic funk brilliance of 'Capnhat'. Rising star Reflex Blue joins the dots between sub-heavy UK tech-house and turn-of-the-90s bleep & bass on the superb 'Life's a Bleep', while Mario Liberti reaches for mutilated rap samples and heady organ stabs on the 'Plastic Dreams'-inspired 'We Are The N&B'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


'Cosmic progressive house' is a relatively rare denomination for new dance releases, but that hasn't stopped Rand MUZIK, who here welcome Australian newcomer Reflex Blue to their roster for four tracks of acid heat. Electro, acid, vocal gates and modular jams are checked off in the space between 'Implant' and 'Gore', as we're left dumbfounded and hypnotised by the repeated assertion made by one vox: "this place distorts reality".

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Gene on Earth's Limousine Dream label has very much been a spearhead in terms of ushering in a new era of sounds - it's a mix of house, tech and prog with retro designs but fresh futuristic ideas. This EP from Reflex Blue perfectly encapsulates that with its surging basslines and warped, bendy synth lines mixing up trippy patterns with neon colours. It's full-blooded body music but next to the functionality it also oozes charter with smart acid prickles, sensuous vocal stabs or kinetic drum programming that really stands out. Brilliant stuff then as always from this crew.

Review: Fresh from admired outings on Limousine Dream and Kalahari Oyster Cult, Cooper Fraser brings his Reflex Blue project to Spectral Bounce for the first time. The EP's title, The Bleeps, offers a clue as to what's on offer; while it's not purist bleep and bass of the sort that helped launch Warp Records (and the British bass music phenomenon), it does take plenty of cues from that sound - not least weighty basslines, ghostly 8-bit lead lines, subtle nods to hip-hop and clandestine aural textures. Highlights are plentiful across the five tracks on show, from the non-stop, acid-laced techno futurism of 'Dracula's MPC' and the trippy excellence of 'Ride The Bleeps', to hard-wired electro number 'Interlude' and the insanely bass-heavy brilliance of 'Distant Future'.

Review: Coming to Whitvoir for their debut album release, Reflex Blue's Positive Nature is an ode to nineties trance and the more introspective side of lower-mid tempo music. Drawing inspiration from the external environments that encompass the artist's native Australia and its vast rural landscapes, the double LP is a reflection of migration, introspection and deeper meditative states, aiming to explore a deepened connection with the outside world - a meditative re-rendering of reality in sound, bridging the gap of notions between the electronic and the organic. With every track seeming to reflect biomes, bioregionality, geo-ecology ('River Trance', 'Way Of The Compass'), the album's piano riffs, downtempo lunges and acid twinges will have you navigating your very own walkabout in no time.

Review: Reflex Blue's Digital Dream EP has only been available before in digital format. This time these lush and dreamy electronic sounds make it into the physical realm with a first vinyl pressing courtesy of Space Lab. The well-regarded EP has been remastered for the occasion and as well as all the original tracks a previously unreleased bonus is included as is a fresh remix from label favourite Lisene. These are retro-future sounds doused in dreamy melody with cosmic vibes, slinky breakbeats, 90s motifs and electro rhythms all put into a heady melting pot.