coldplushtoy - DJ Candy @ CLUBCANDY* 2007

As soon as I hit play, I was brought right back to that incredible night at the CLUBCANDY* Industrial District - what I was listening to was pretty unlike anything I’d heard before. Switching between his various monikers, coldplushtoy in only a few years has absolutely mastered his craft and cut out a signature sound, sounding refreshed with every new project but staying instantly-recognisable no matter where it’s taking place. Whether we’re blasting beats in CS:GO or drifting through nocturnal greyscale cities, it always feels like a universe pretty unique to the person behind it. A couple years later, CLUBCANDY is still my favourite of all these locations and tape remains as wonderful as the day it dropped. The whole thing seeps through the turquoise and violets of its cover, a spectacle of colourful hard-hitting beats with each flowing perfectly into the next. What hooked me in first was the sample selection, with a beautiful foray into the world of mid-to-late 2000s rnb, every soaring vocal backed by brittle strings and stretched-out synths. These always play between CPT’s loose drumwork, with kicks and bass swinging between carefully-placed hihats and snares. It’s a crazy effect that to this day I still don’t know how he does so effortlessly. Every beat knocks, every transition is seamless, and you’re left only wanting to spin it again by the outro. This still remains I think one of the landmark tapes of the early 20s and one I hope is spoken about a lot more than it is.

KEY BEAT: Miss Bones - Braindown - CPT’s unique sense of rhythm is prevalent in each beat but no more than this one, where the hardest-hitting snare and disjointed hats underpin a truly gorgeous vocal loop.