Aspley is a name you’ll soon see carved into club walls. With the release of his debut beat tape Act I, he’s staked his claim as a rising star in Sydney’s thriving underground scene.
Out today on Amino Records (sister to Sydney techno label Cult Trip), Act I is a thumping tour through the big beats of hip hop and the sharp slaps of techno, with a snaking orchestral edge sneaking in throughout.
Pitting industrial rhythms against biting orchestral cuts, Act I from Sydney producer Aspley rings with an unmitigated sense of urgency.
Above all else, Aspley’s love for age-old orchestral composition shines throughout Act I. Against 808 booms and rumbling basslines, gargantuan string compositions shriek through the top end like lightning through cloud.
It lends the beat tape a startling amount of character, giving it a feel somewhere between Dilla’s mixtapes and a cult horror soundtrack like Suspiria. Hear a preview of the mix below.
Cult Trip have made a habit of supporting artists who defy convention, so it’s hardly a surprise that Aspley is hard to categorise. Gleaning influence from Victorian composition, MPC-era beatmaking and modern techno, his music transcribes over 200 years of sonic evolution into something utterly fresh.
Act I sets an impressive precedent for Aspley, and we’re already itching to see what he’ll come up with in the coming years.
Amino Records was launched in 2018, and Act I marks the label’s first official release. A sister ensemble to Sydney techno pioneers Cult Trip, Amino strives to be a platform for artists “making their mark outside the club.”
Grab the full Act I beat mix digitally or on cassette today.
