(Simple Records/Inertia)

Glastonbury native Will Saul has earned himself a reputation for his seamless mixes fusing breakbeats, dub, techno and electro of all tempos and variations. Whilst not quite a household name with Aussie dance music fans just yet, Infusion’s remix of his track Cliff has graced various compilations in the past 18 months and garnered him his fair share of attention. Since becoming a finalist in Muzik Magazine’s Bedroom to Bedlam DJ of the Year in 2001 (won by James Zabiela), Saul has gone on to set up Simple Records. With Simple One, Saul has embraced the technology of revolutionary computer program Ableton Live and stitched together a mix of moody and atmospheric breaks. He takes full advantage of Ableton Live as a means of mixing together tracks that would otherwise be too far apart in tempo to consider placing side by side.

Bristol multi instrumentalist Sideshow kicks off proceedings with the broken beat track Waiting for the Darkness. It’s percussive intro creates an easy entry and shortly before the three minute mark kicks things up a notch. Another Sideshow track, Sound of today, follows and continues with the percussive beats, allowing a soft warbling sax to drift in and out. Saul’s own Fast Lane is more of an interlude before the third and final Sideshow contribution, Slide (Mathew Jonson mix). This picks the mix up in tempo and intensity and really starts moving it forward, though still offering some slow atmospheric effects.

Austrian live percussion duo Walker.Jintenaus offer two tracks, the first Karma, continuing on the upbeat rhythms and atmospheric sax work and getting ready for the next big track, Precision Cut’s Xylophone. It serves as another kick start to the mix, adding just the right levels of energy to drive it further forward. This is continued as the album reaches the homeward stretch two tracks later with the second Precision Cuts track Royal Flush who’s energy comes from well programmed up tempo breakbeats. Following this Christian J borrows a few frogs from Lee Coombs and adds a driving heavy thud to Walkner.Hintenaus’ Pinrose, setting things up for a killer finale of the aforementioned Infusion mix of Saul’s own Cliff. It’s an epic track of it’s own that continues to build, making a very fitting closer for what proves an outstanding mix.

For breaks fans who love a sense of progression from a DJ this mix is well worth your while checking out. When first pressing play it seems perfect for doing something quietly around the house to. By the time it’s over you’re up and ready for more, energized and wanting to do something, unassuming in the way it grabs your attention. The fact that such a young label is capable of such things so soon suggests keeping a close eye on future releases.