Bleep

Slackk returns with his second EP for R&S after the success of Backwards Light in 2015. A figurehead of the instrumental grime scene through the London clubnight/label Boxed that he runs with Mr. Mitch, Logos and Oil Gang, Slackk is just as talented a producer as he is a selector. Aviary is explorative and richly melodic, moving beyond the Boxed sound and blurring the line between grime and numerous other influences, largely through experimenting with new textures and tempos. ‘Swan Filters’ is the most obvious club track here, with rumbling bass and stately synths, and you’ll have likely heard the wonky ‘Skeleton Crew’ in sets from Mumdance and Logos. ‘Pigeons’ and ‘Replenish’ are lighter affairs with glossy, swooping synth lines, while ‘Returning Geese’ finishes things off on a sombre, reflective note.