The third single from EVL Tom’s forthcoming album on Out Yer Box, ‘Absolute Melt’, is this late-night breakbeat roller. This one is definitely for the 5am headz.

On ‘Eternal Lids’ the break rolls throughout the track incessantly, while the Reese bass — harking back to early 90s jungle — travels alongside it. There’s almost a hint of speed garage and the darker end of UKG to the track, but with an overall raw-like feel of 1990s MPC-led hip-house cuts. The Gary Numan-esque synth stabs that come in later on echo off into the ether, giving it a touch of wistful, melancholic hopefulness. This release sits perfectly on Out Yer Box, with its mandate for releasing interesting, challenging non-4/4 material.

“I love movies, so when I think of what image this track conjures up, or how I wanted it to feel, it’s kind of like something out of a Michael Mann movie,” says EVL Tom of the track. “Thinking cinematically, to me it evokes midnight journeys through cityscapes, with neon reflecting in the windows. You’re on a mission, there’s a sense of promise in the air but it’s a serious business… Or it’s just a moody, heads-down in the smoke-filled rave type of stepper. It’s a bit of both, I think.”

EVL Tom also records as one half of Evil Nine with Pat Pardy, originally signed to Adam Freeland’s label Marine Parade. Their award-winning ‘You Can Be Special Too’ and ‘They Live!’ albums received widespread acclaim and in the process they collaborated with such luminaries as El-P from Run The Jewels, Danny Brown, Aesop Rock and Emily Breeze. They were residents at Fabric London, did a Radio One Essential Mix and toured the world several times performing at Fuji Rock Festival, Space in Miami, Twilo in NYC, Coachella and Arcadia at Glastonbury. 


They remixed a whole host of acts such as The Temper Trap, UNKLE, Eagles Of Death Metal, Timo Maas, Gorillaz and a tonne of others. The Evils also turned in compilation mixes for the ‘FabricLive’ and ‘Y4K’ series, establishing their credentials as one of the most sought-after breakbeat acts in the business in the process. 


Tom now chiefly DJs and produces solo as EVL Tom, has a monthly radio show The Evil Tom Show, and will be celebrating the launch of the ‘Absolute Melt’ album with a big event in his home city of Brighton soon.