- Glasgow label Dixon Avenue Basement Jams has staked out a central spot on the city's music scene in recent years, and this EP from local producer Big Miz shows why. A resident at the city-centre basement party Offbeat, Big Miz has clearly been taking notes from the endless array of talent surrounding him in Glasgow, which has resulted in a striking debut.
Like Adesse Versions' "Pride” and Kornél Kovács' "Pantalón," "Good Thing" has for months been a maddeningly unidentifiable staple in local DJ sets. Also like those tracks, it rests on a charismatic female vocal that builds in intensity alongside layers of bass and hats, winding up at a place of simple, air-punching irresistibility.
"Good Thing" would make Midnight Man Handle worth the ticket price alone, but the record has plenty more to be excited about. "Electrolites" comes off a little green initially, when a female soul vocal goes up against regulation analogue synth lines and clacking percussion. It subsequently morphs into a jacking synth jam, however, proving to be a prudent left turn. The tightly wound acid-techno of "Solange" cascades through nasal acid bass, crowd FX, cowbells and claps, deftly walking the line between chaos and order. Closer "Wurx (Live Jam)" is as raw as the title suggests: its unfinished edges are fitting reminders that Big Miz is still a producer finding his feet, even though he rarely sounds like it.
TracklistA1 Good Thing
A2 Electrolites
B1 Solange
B2 Wurx