Lost in space on the River Thames: London artist and DJ Charles Field calls his solo project JVXTA. Following a series of EPs, some on his own label Hardmatter, »Euston Blues« has now been released as his début album, named after the train station in the borough of Camden. It is club music indeed, but worlds apart from the current trend towards neon trance euphoria. Instead, it is carried by an unobtrusive commitment to a quieter presence on the dance floor.
On »No One Needs To Know«, the blues first take on an ambient form, with single, almost painfully radiant tones that penetrate through the sound fog. »Hold On« takes the form of reduced, melancholic house with introverted, slowly escalating soul vocals. In general, his low-key deep house approach fits well with the tastes of the Brooklyn label Scissor & Thread, on which JVXTA celebrates his début this year.
Charles Field takes his time with the tracks, which last between six and eleven minutes and leave plenty of room to create a mood, savour it and eventually add a beat. The first kick arrives after a quarter of an hour on the title track, the longest piece on the record. Everything comes at the right time.
Euston Blues
