In his first solo EP since Your Charizmatic Self, Night Slugs founder Bok Bok’s Salvage 2017 is a coolly-refreshing oasis in a desert full of listless attempts at contemplative club music. After exploring a variety of sonic terrain in polished gems such as “Melba’s Call,” as well as an absolutely wild J. Hus remix, the Briton producer swings things back towards a heavy grime influence—but not the commercialized grime sounds that have permeated Americanized club music of late. Rather, he amplifies the grit in plodding, persistent bass to complement the dreary, dark wobble of synths that infused London’s early dubstep scene a decade ago. “Know Already” and “Salvage Lurkin” are the most traditionally grime-oriented of the bunch; however, the stuttering melody and reggaeton-tinged rhythms of “Island Hopping” bring AJ Tracey’s “Wifey Riddim” to mind.
Bok Bok’s work is always excellent, but when I heard a new EP was on the way, I wondered how it would stack up to the now-classic Your Charizmatic Self. Thankfully, he didn’t disappoint—each song on Salvage 2017 is daringly expansive in scope, begging to swallow up a packed club in enticing riddims and pulsating vibrations. Experimentation pays off for Bok Bok, making Salvage 2017 one of his better releases to date.
Salvage 2017 is available to stream on Spotify.
