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Throughout a series of free releases and EPs for the likes of Unknown to the Unknown and his own Trax Couture imprint, Rushmore has gained a penchant for crafting the sort of free wheeling club tracks that defy both time and genre. The free “Air Trax” series is the perfect example of the London-resident’s stripped-back approach and resembles something in between the raw, feverous energy of ghetto house and the tightly-wound proficiency of UK techno. Unlike many of his contemporaries Rushmore doesn’t stab at concepts of futurism or technological progress, instead working towards the sort of machine-led dance floor proficiency that originally led to the rise of dance music in Chicago. Rushmore’s newest EP, his third on Trax Couture, is raucous at times, but also sees Rushmore adopt some of the paranoiac spirit that pervades much of the capital city’s output. Kicks, toms and stomp boxes are still in order for much of HOT004, but so are cut up violin bits (akin to Dark0’s recent work) and other video game soundtrack-derived melodic content. “Silent Melody” still embodies the gleeful linearity of Rushmore’s past productions, but trades in ghetto house for Jersey club’s rumbling kick pattern and grime’s melodrama. It’s metallic and slightly obsessive in its repetitious melody, source material drawn directly from post-Olympic East London, but also from the growing figurative diaspora of UK and American club sounds. HOT004 will be out on vinyl and digital on October 20, but can be pre-ordered through the Trax Couture website now.

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If you’ve checked out our guest mix series recently, then you’ve probably heard Rushmore’s “Bloodlines”, a monster of a track that contains just about everything you need for a proper club joint. Neana played it in his mix and then the Trax Couture boss himself had to give the world a little preview in his contribution. “Bloodlines” will appear on HOT002, the second release on Trax Couture (also run by Fools), which also features three other grime/ballroom/ghetto-influenced heaters. The EP is slated for a December 30 release date, but if you’re in the UK, then you can check out the Trax crew alongside Georgia Girls this Friday.

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It’s always interesting to witness disparate (in both a stylistic and geographic sense) musical scenes interacting, referencing and building off of each other. It’s also no surprise that we’re big fans of collaboration and intertextuality in these parts so you can imagine how pleased we were when Trax Couture bossman Rushmore agreed to contribute to our guest mix series. On his own time, the London-based producer makes machine music pure and simple. Rushmore’s tracks are industrial in nature, drawing on London’s ‘nuum fascination to bring together grime, dubstep and techno. He also draws much inspiration from Chicago and New York, specifically the sharp, linear lines of ghettotek and the lewd abrasiveness of ballroom, both of which are clearly apparent in his productions and mix work.

Lucky for all of us, his second 12″ (also the second in Trax Couture’ss HOT series) will be released in early December. You might recognize “Bloodlines” from Neana’s guest mix last week and the rest of the EP follows similar contours, repeatedly throwing jagged rhythms and undulating sub bass at the listener. To celebrate the EP release, the House of Trax folks (Rushmore and Fools) are throwing a party in London with Georgia Girls. The function will occur on December 6 at Birthdays and is sure to feature plenty of choice cuts from the HOT crew. Stream/download Rushmore’s mix below and hit the jump for a full tracklist.

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