The new release from Berlin-based multi- instrumentalist and DJ, M.RUX, is a something of a contradiction: at once a slow grind in sweaty ecstasy, while at the same time observing you coolly from a distance, legs crossed, tapping one foot gently. The same goes for the construction of the music. Deceptively simple at first listen, each track builds until a complex, dirty-minded concoction of soul samples, melodies, beats and varied sounds becomes clear. 

M.RUX is known for an artistic whimsy that sees him stray from tough beats to down-tempo Balearic psychedelia and even leftfield soundscapes. Here on "In The Hold", he fuses elements of all these style to great effect. There are six cuts, highlights of which include the quirky blues-meets-tech-pop of "Over The Hill", the fragile minimal beats and ancient blues vocals of "Someone Else" and the low-slung late night atmospherics of "Whats The Matter Now".