This quote attributed to Hermes Trismegistus came to my mind. A sphere whose radius expands from its center outwardly into the boundless space, into the vistas of uncharted possibility, re-discovering itself everywhere. This idea considered in the context of music, knowing what I did of these artists, made me imagine something quite unique and exciting. A sonic infusion of the known and unknown into something both familiar and wholly new.  I can honestly say I was thrilled when I heard their next ep Ambivalence was to be released on a label as respected and forward-thinking as Flexout. This new album is poised to be a major turning point for these young talents.  Riding the momentum of Kit Jones’s massive debut Isolus EP on Surveillance Music only a few weeks ago (the same label responsible for Freshney’s under-groundbreaking Bloom EP) coupled with the quiet hype behind this newest release as Circumference, they’re ready to deliver a one-two knockout punch to the unsuspecting dnb community with these lethal back to back releases.  With only a handful of tracks released under this alias to date, I hope producers and fans alike are ready to take notice and dive into the catalogue of what these impressive lads have to showcase starting with this tremendous EP.

Ambivalence

With the sounds of a ceremonial orchestra sounding off, it is as though a great journey is about to begin.  There’s a palpable quality of soul in the air, with it the feeling of freshness, open landscapes, and bright skies come to my mind.  A very appropriate beginning to what can undoubtedly be considered a ‘journey’ album, or a release that benefits from being listened to in its entirety in a single listening session.  This song embodies very classical and elegant qualities from the very outset.  Circumference is able to tastefully incorporate these elements and ideas into a drum and bass track in a way that seems both organic and modern.  The cinematic influence is apparent, a strong point in their sound derived in part from their love for film cinematography, leveraged here for a complex and contemplative mood.

Ambivalence can be easily seen as both positive or negative, but to me, this tune reflects the feelings of spaciousness, stability, peace, and self-reliance that a healthy degree of ambivalence can provide.  As the gust of rushing drums leads us into the absolutely beautiful climax of this track, a feeling of stoic indifference to the outside world allows one to easily lose themselves in the music.  The overarching orchestral arrangement leads us to transcendent spaces while the tight drum work keeps us grounded and present.   This track is a vehicle for sure, and for me, the experience is one of mounting pressure within myself, the building up of resistances until they’re overcome and released into a cascade of pure joy.  We’re carried out of this track gently, guided by a soothing vocal into the harmonies and horns from which the journey began, creating a sense of equanimity as the song concludes.  These guys really nail the melodic and soulful quality they often aim for in their music with this one.  The track as a whole possesses a degree of depth and sincerity that clearly shows the emotion that went into making it, the orchestral qualities imbue the track with an appreciation for the beauty of classical aesthetic that isn’t often heard nowadays, not just drum and bass alone but all genres of music.

Chum

And now onto what is the certified banger of the album.  I first heard this tune on the exceptionally curated drum and bass radio show; Redacted Radio, when Circumference was featured as their guest mix over 6 months ago.  Meaning that these two have been sitting on this tune for a while, the thought of which has kept me up late some nights scouring their various dj mixes for dubs and IDs, wondering how much more artillery these two creators must have in their arsenal.  I for one have been waiting some time for this song to be released and was quite pleased to hear it appear on Vision Radio.  A well deserved shout out from our scene’s best foreshadowing this release.  Big Ups chums.

The opening begins being surrounded by one's mates, but also at the same time, a creeping uneasiness lingers.  As though we aren’t safe, we’re being baited.  Like chum bait suspended in ocean water, being circled by a group of hungry sharks, ready at any moment to spring into action and rip apart and devour us in an instant.  Leaving nothing behind but a bloody mist.  This tune seems to me like an instant classic and it seems to hit every mark a drum and bass head could want.  It's a visceral tune with a driving pocket groove that goes on into an engaging rhythm, definitely a track that would persuade any dancefloor to let loose out of instinct.  There’s plenty of space to breathe in this track but you’ll be gassed out by the time the breakbeat midsection comes in, keeping your heart rate up and soul entranced.  This tune began as an homage to the sort of jump up drum and bass we’re familiar with, sounding reminiscent of pioneers like Mefjus, Signal, Synergy and Noisia, but unexpectedly snaps into a wicked techno beat.  The switch up on the second half of this tune is really unexpected, a clear tip of the hat to the new wave techno-infused 4x4 drum and bass sounds we’ve been hearing from the labels such as Neo-Signal and DIVIDID.  Circumference can dance in between all these different types of sounds and influences masterfully, taking their favorite nuances and combining them within single tracks seamlessly making for a highly original and creative composition.  This track starts one way, with a masterfully executed but somewhat familiar sort of banger, and then leads you into an entirely different direction down a wonderfully unforeseen rabbit hole of a new wave of sounds gaining an increasing audience in the scene day, clearly showing that these boys have learned from their predecessors and are transmuting their influences into something extraordinary.

Submerged

Submerged might be my favorite track on this release.  It has such an innocuously leading introduction that before you know it, after only a single verse of drums you’re under the hypnosis of a full-on roller with an infectious halftime rhythm by the one minute mark.  Marked with cybernetic bleeps, bloops, clicks, and taps, with a synthesizer straight out of science fiction, this track sounds like a spaceship landing on another planet.  There’s a brief moment in the middle of the track where the synth work really shines and takes center stage, a great climactic crescendo of the album for sure, really creating an otherworldly atmosphere before leading into a full-on halftime head-nodder of seismic proportions.  This decadent groove cannot be resisted, and this goes to show yet again what makes this pair so great. The uncanny ability to express various genres in matters of degree shows masterful control over their sound and the remarkable capacity to bring their prophetic visions to life.  The subtle transformation of a drum and bass roller into a cinematic half time stomper in the span of a single track, with only remnants of how the song originated, demonstrates that this duo has no limits or restrictions on their sound and can take the listener to marvellous places hitherto unseen.

I’m Warm

When listening to this ep for the first time I hoped the final track would be the most experimental and far-out one.  I was not disappointed, from the opening moments of this concluding track, led along by a haunting techy ambience, I can tell “I’m Warm” was going to be something special.  But ironically enough it opens with an extremely catchy, almost poppish bounce, an unexpected twist.   At this point in the EP they’ve earned a powerful grip over our attention, leaving us again agape in awe as they seamlessly weave together these different styles and elements, a clear testament to the diversity of their sound palette and inherent talent for uniting disparate themes harmoniously into a greater whole.  We’re carried along by a lovely progression, a spring, joyful jaunt forward. The melody on this is absolutely boundary dissolving. After a short building interlude, the same melody returns accompanied by savagely snarling bass lines, bright and bold synths, composure held together by an incredibly beautiful vocal modulation. Sounds of terror and bliss merge and exist within a sublime and timeless moment. Not as opposites but as two sides of the same coin, demonstrating the interdependent relationship between all sounds and things. Bringing forth the inherent harmony which binds them together into one greater wholeness, and revealing the potential of creative endeavour to go far beyond standard dichotomy and classification, into a new world of limitless possibility. The way this space is explored and every aspect of the music receives full attention and expression, lends to a very theatrical and almost choreographed conclusion to this massive album.

The album ends just as it began, with the soulful orchestra returning us home.  We’ve come full circle back to where we began, a fitting resolution to a phenomenal journey.  Circumference’s music challenges us to go beyond the familiar listening experience into spectacular soundscapes of unique and sonic hybrids.  They’ve cultivated a clear voice in their sound, allowing them to take their music, as well as their listeners, wherever they’d like while still maintaining a balanced center, completely their own.  I hope the coming year provides these two with the opportunity to flex these tunes on a proper sound system for a live audience.  I am incredibly eager to see the impression this prodigious pair makes on the scene and what the future holds for them.

A word about the artwork

A equanimous and balanced composition held in the empty, starless and bible-black, night of space.  Divided sharply along the horizon by a saturated metallic colored font, invoking notions of some dynamic vintage futurism.  The smooth and sleek color gradation is held in place by blinding white frames, melting down vibrantly like lava along the bulging, twisting, and wobbling characters, practically illegible.  All is calm on the surface while the palette below contorts and struggles to maintain form, finding its center of gravity at the bottom of the frame.

The Ambivalence EP is out now on Flexout, available here.