Artist: Quivver
Title: Space Manoeuvres Part 3
Label: Boz Boz Recordings
By: Simon Jones | 25 January 2004
Tracklist:

• A: Main Mix
• B: Quivver Breaks Mix

Quivver "Space Manoeuvres Part 3"

The Space Manoeuvres project has been without a doubt unforgettable since 'Stage One' first appeared, subsequently gaining many remixes and an appearance on Sasha and Digweed's 'Northern Exposure: Expeditions' compilation, amongst others. The man behind this project of course is John Graham, better known as Quivver, and whilst the follow up 'Pluto Disko' didn't quite live up the legacy created by the inaugural release, it would seem that the situation has now been addressed as 'Space Manoeuvres Part 3' appears on John's own Boz Boz imprint, and what a scorcher it is.

The 'Main Mix' is constructed around a wicked atmospheric groove that immediately adds a sense of depth and a feeling of spaciousness to the mix. As the futuristic melodic hooks flicker out of the darkness, subtle percussion builds up, backed by an array of futuristic synths and a trippy, hypnotic bassline that draws you in. The moment the 'first there was darkness' vocal enters, anticipation is built by some stunning pulsating synths that lead up to the main section of the track where the full vocal, sampled from the film 'Dark City', drifts out of the speakers whilst the beats go deeper and deeper, before the bassline glides upwards towards a melodic finale that bears all the classic Quivver trademarks, making this an unforgettable track that will gain reaction time and time again.

Quivver's 'Breaks Mix' leads in with some tight 4/4 beats backed by some heavy bass stabs, floating over a moody soundscape that slides behind. The vocal is teased early on, before the main breakbeat rhythm takes over, growing in prominence as delays cause the bass to intensify, before fading out as the main vocal hook enters. Rumbling bass rises behind the vocal, leading into a stunning peak time melodic finale that oozes class with swelling atmospherics and futuristic synths enveloping the beats, and taking things deeper to close.

If the reaction to this track is anything to go by, it looks like Quivver has finally delivered a release that lives up to the quality of his early classics, and if he can continue to pump out more material of this caliber over the next few months, we will no doubt witness his rapid ascension back to the top of the pile and back into people's minds as one of the figures that defines and exemplifies the best in the progressive scene.