Asquith Vinyl & CDs

Review: Jimmy Asquith of Lobster Theremin fame presents a second round of lean and mean DJ tools for those who want a bit of personality rubbed into their rhythm tracks. "Hard Skippin (Cream Mix)" is exactly what the title suggests, pivoting around a dutsty, swinging house beat that would sound right at home on Jus' Trax. "Never Alone" is more straight and stripped, while "Hot Hot" gets into a twitchy NYC groove. "NRG Mix" flips the script entirely with a snappy grime beat that should pepper all kinds of sets with interesting percussive accents when required. Classy beat tracks with a vintage finish to suit all manner of party persuasions.

Review: Jimmy Asquith is in fiery form on his first EP of 2020, the appropriately titled "Rave Til Dawn". The EP-opening title track is almost insanely weighty, with a loved-up and glassy-eyed Asquith combining bombastic, hardcore style breakbeats, pounding kick-drums, warehouse-ready rave riffs and a handful of suitably wavy female vocal samples to devastating effect. Elsewhere, "Down" is a pounding slab of slamming peak-time techno, "Crush" sees him go to town with ravey stabs and layered techno-funk drums, and "LCD Steppin'" offers an attractive blend of sweaty, proto-jungle breaks, sustained sunrise-ready chords and more wide-eyed vocal snippets.

Review: Jimmy Asquith is undoubtedly best known for being the man behind the ever-growing Lobster Theremin label, though he does have production pedigree following a string of releases under the Chicago Flotation Device and Tom Hang aliases. Here he uses his surname as a pseudonym for the first time, serving up a two-track missive that bristles with celebratory peak-time intent. The A-side "NYC Mix" of "The Conditioning Track" is a percussive, energy-packed treat, with sweaty vocal stabs rising above a deliciously heavy and distorted rhythm track and a mind-altering UK garage style bassline. The flipside "North London Mix" is similarly tough, albeit a little less percussively intense and more musically rich thanks to the addition of a classic deep house motif. Recommended.