ben boe

VA – Boe XXX [BOEXXX]

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Every tenth release for Boe Recordings represents a significant achievement for the vinyl-focused record label and the numerical milestone is celebrated with a special release. The thirtieth installment, BOE XXX is a true family affair with four recognizable Boe artists and two new members added in. Leif’s “That Ice Cream Tune” features shuffling and stuttering arpeggiated leads and metallic syncopated hats and snares. Spoken word hums and an ambient lead add that beautiful sheen to the production. Ben Boe slots in a classy deep electro cut, “Spectral Gate” comprised of weighty analog percussion and shifting synthscapes. Nick Lawson returns to Boe with yet another classy example of high-end deep house. “Wharf Aquatics” bubbles and grooves along with its effervescent dub delayed leads and it’s liquid bass movements. Late night head music. A closely linked artist to the label, Life Recorder finally gets his debut on Boe with a low slung grooving tech houser, “Butterflies”. Aimed squarely at the dance floor this no-nonsense driving cut pumps and grooves for 7 minutes with its persistent Detroit style hook line. Reedale Rise provides “Quadrex”; a Detroit-esque electro track with DBX style hypnotism thrown in for good measure. Space age themes and Drexiycan like pads play off against shuffling percussion mechanics. Finally, after many recent contributions to boe 12″s, the steel city techno-forging don John Shima lays down a stunning piece of ambient work in the vein of B12 and those classic industrial sounds calledLiberation.

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VA – Boe XXX [BOEXXX]

Ben Boe – Leagues To Light Years [BOE026]

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Ben Boe drops his very first solo EP on the label he conceived over 8 years ago. Narratives of deep space travel and journeys into the abyss permeate the release from start to finish. Ganymede graces the A-Side with its interstellar funk and sci-fi chords cutting through a heavy atmosphere like that of the namesake moon itself. A sampled, spooky tale of watery destinations round off the a-side and lead into the depths of DEEeeP-r on the flip. Fuzzy saturated textures, whispering chords and heavy bass soften the descent whilst a chopped and maipulated vocal drones “Go Deeper, Stay Longer”. Drawing influence from his home county, the early Sheffield stylings, machine-precision breakbeats and soft harmonies of Atomic Fuzz round off the EP.

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Ben Boe – Leagues To Light Years [BOE026]

VA – Halal Prepared Vol.3 [BOE025]

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While their sporadic appearance remains a frustration, it’s hard to find fault with Boe Recordings’ Halal Prepared series of EPs. This third installment of the series, which lands 12 months after it’s’ predecessor, contains another quarter of high quality deep house jams. The real highlights – to our ears, at least – are the two tracks that doff a cap to classic Detroit techno, whilst keeping their feet firmly rooted in deep house. Both “Star Struck” by Chicago Deep and Havantepe’s “Plane Waves” capture the retro-futurist spirit and stargazing electronics associated with the Motor City perfectly. Elsewhere, keep an eye out for Taelue’s “Desolate Dreams”, which offers a bittersweet trip into ultra-deep house territory.

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VA – Halal Prepared Vol.3 [BOE025]

VA – Halal Prepared Vol. 2 [BOE022]

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Arriving back in the spring of 2010, the first edition of Halal Prepared from London label Boe Recordings featured Iron Curtis, KiNK and Ladzinski and has remained a 12″ the more considered selectors at Juno HQ keep in their record boxes. Primed by Boe as the onset of a new V/A series, it’s taken the label three years to decide on what artists to feature on this second volume, with a great online mix series of the same name available for those craving some Halal flavoured house. Smallville graduate Arnaldo calls shotgun here with the playfully named A side hogger “A Shop That Sells Everything But At Twice The Price” filled with the sort of texturally deepness that made his Blank Slate record from earlier this year such a popular 12″. Label boss Ben Boe deems the time right to surface with his first original production and “Low Rider” fits snugly in with the refined house aesthetic the under-rated Boe Recordings has developed over the course of it’s five years of releases. French producer Anaxander rounds out Vol 2. In fine style with the deep and dubby “Dance Et Cetera” showcasing his percussive chops.

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VA – Halal Prepared Vol. 2 [BOE022]