Click Box - Wake Up Call

1. Wake Up Call
2. Nebula
3. Room
4. Blue Box
5. S Bahn

Click Box have fast become a permanent fixture in the Minus firmament, personifying the subtle shifts that are taking place within the scene as the label expands its repertoire and broadens its horizons to incorporate emerging artists from all over the globe. Already on to their second Minus release of 2009, São Paulo DJs/producers Marco AS and Pedro Turra immediately pick up where they left off with the roving bass and pumping rhythm section of Wake Up Call doing exactly what it says on the tin. As with the first EP, the oscillating synth patterns continue to dominate proceedings, painting neon shapes in the darkness before another delicious robotic sequence shifts the atmosphere by introducing a moroder-esque vibe complete with twisted disco bleeps. It’s just another example of how Click Box have honed their sound since their debut I&T release through a finely crafted mixture of proto-house, electro and techno, to create a distinctive hybrid that’s fast becoming their own. There is something reassuringly familiar about the fat basslines and classic old school sequences they use but it’s their innovative approach to sound design and the adrenalin rush of their arrangements that allows them to connect the past and the future with such authenticity. Moving on, Nebula extends the party vibe with a funk-infused hihat pattern taking hold while a moody, throbbing bass pulse stalks the undergrowth. More modulated madness ensues as the wasp like synth melody twists and morphs to distraction, blooming and fading as the beats motor forward. Acidic overtones continue to dominate during the intro to Room before the boys let fly with another lethal snare line and a flurry of sliding bleeps. The tight interplay between the drum parts and bass patterns is a constant theme throughout these tracks but it’s the musical sensib ility of the outrageous sounds and shapes they use that really captures the imagination as you drift further into their cleverly mapped-out arrangements...

Click Box - Shades

NOT THE COVER ART..

1. Berlin Shades
2. Lost Road
3. Some Toys
4. Voxer

On their introductory Minus EP, Click Box offers a refreshing return to a bygone era of classic instrumentals, full of experimentation and passion generated by that ongoing love affair between man and machine. Berlin Shades starts out in a jittery minimal fashion but soon dives much deeper as the tough electro bassline expands and contracts dragging the dancer to and fro. The cascading hook and in-your-face sci-fi synth motif add a sense of tongue-in-cheek drama to a dynamic arrangement that incorporates steep inclines, sharp drops and snaking pathways. As the short staccato bass riff gains momentum and the hook comes round for the second time you just know something’s lying in wait and the boys certainly don’t disappoint. Lost Road is anything but a blind alley, kicking off with some low-slung interplay between a two-note bassline and a whiplash snare that dishes out a serious spanking. Hi-hats fizz across the audio spectrum, cleverly pitching up and down before a drunken bass sequence ushers in the main section with its sliding, twisted synth distortions primed for surprise and immediate disorientation. Once all the elements are in play, the fun really starts with so many objects of interest competing for attention. The arrangement is pulled and pushed to great effect extracting maximum effect from this tough little unit. More electro flavour to the fore as the loose, broken beat intro and robot sounds of Some Toys make for some slick moves on the dancefloor. The retro synth riffs and dark spiralling pads conjure up images of some early 80s lab full of computer kids in white coats twiddling knobs on huge mainframe monoliths. The bouncing bass and analogue belches make this a must for all retro-tastic electro-boogie fans. The theme continues over into Voxer as rising filtered bass tones playout over another trademark Click Box drum pattern, this time doused in heavy reverb and delay. An array of analogue bleeps, screams and laser beams keep the motor ticking over...www.wordandsound.de