UPFRONTBEATS

Following in the footsteps of so many talented artist, Ben Aus gets his first shot at fame on label Alphahouse with the Circus Ep.

An emerging talent from the Northern African country of Tunisia, Ben Aus may not be a household name quite yet, but his unique, mature compositions bely his newcomer status. With a string of releases inked to Butane’s Alphahouse and Little Helpers labels this year, Ben Aus releases the Circus EP in order to get things moving.

The title cut ‘Circus’ kicks off the EP and sees Ben Aus deliver party-time, jazz-infused electronica, where exuberant piano licks and sinuous Rhodes melodies are built around a strong rhythmic frame to great effect . The ‘Dub’ mix of ‘Circus’ follows and, as the name would suggest, strips back the vibe to a looser, more groovy style. Another effortless percussive framework propels the piece, and the infectious piano hook and howling, resonant synth licks smoothly complement the organic, effortless drum work.

Opening the latter half of the EP is ‘Whiskey’ and Aus takes things a little more reduced and freaky in this instance with sparse, stuttering percussion, squelching, acid-tinged bass tones, and evolving Rhodes chord sequences. Butane shapes up the package delivering a combo remix of both original’s entitled ‘Whiskey Circus’ and in classic Butane-fashion, delivers a smooth, heads-down interpretation. One for the deepest heads, his mix grooves over six and a half minutes and culminates in a sun-drenched, hands up reward.

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