Will Saul envisions the Inside Out series as a showcase for unique, unheard music, blurring the lines between traditional albums and mixed compilations. Instead of relying on familiar crowd favorites or forgotten obscurities, the DJ curates new material from friends, collaborators, and associates.
Saul certainly had no trouble acquiring material for the first volume of the series -- he's released music by dozens of artists through Aus Music and his prior label, Simple Records, and he's also been the A&R for !K7's lauded DJ-Kicks series since 2015. Inside Out, Vol. 1 mainly consists of tracks by artists who are no strangers to Aus Music, including
Sei A,
Deadboy, and
FaltyDL.
Saul's transitions are a bit more noticeable at the beginning of the mix than toward the end, but as the mix progresses, it becomes harder to tell which elements belong to which track, and sometimes it seems like the ghosts of previous tracks resurface during later sections. Only a few tunes appear for more than four minutes, so it's generally a busy mix, but the tracks themselves are more relaxed, filled with unhurried beats, spacious ambient washes, and generous layers of dub echo.
Martyn's "Feel the Magnetism" is a bit heavier on breakbeats and booming bass, but isn't too aggressive, and the tracks by
Lone and
Marquis Hawkes that follow are filled with classic uplifting house vibes. Following a brief comedown a few tracks later, the beat picks back up, but it only barely feels like the mix rises toward a sort of climax.
Youandewan's flowery electro-techno track "Insel 2000" ends up being one of the album's highlights simply for striking the right balance between prettiness and a driving beat. Overall, a very pleasant mix that sets up its own rules, yet still finds ways to play around with them. ~ Paul Simpson