Tea for tremendous: UK trio Arcatype are back in our ears this month with their first full EP in over two years – Return, a massive three track missive on Jubei’s Carbon Music imprint.
“This EP is our return back to writing music but also writing the music we want to hear with stripped back beats, rolling bass and good samples,” state the act who first broke through on Ingredients over seven years ago. Besides occasional singles, VA cameo appearances and remixes, the last full Aracatype dispatch was their Mindloop EP on CIA in early 2020.
Return, however, marks the start of something more formal as the group have found a new groove and promise we won’t have to wait so long for another release. “We’ve all been super busy recently,” they tell us. “Justin has been starting a family and smashing it as Minor Forms and Tommy and Karl have been burning the midnight oil at work.”
“This EP was definitely a spontaneous creation when it came about. Gooseberry was a sketch that Justin had made and was sitting on. All it took was a fresh injection of vibes from Tommy to get it rolling and it’s then we realised we could bring Arcatype back. Now we are back on the beats it definitely won’t be another two years, and you can expect more music next year.”
If the beats on Return are anything to go by, we’ve got a lot to look forward to. For Jubei, the release captures the sound and vibe of his label perfectly. “I remember Arcatype’s early releases on Ingredients Records around 2015. When they got in touch to send some demos over I was looking forward to hearing what they had been up to as I was already a fan,” he tells us.
“The Return EP really sums up the style of what Carbon is about for me, I love that someone you don’t personally know can just hit you up and send you music that really resonates perfectly without prior conversation. We are already in talks about their next Carbon project.”
Don’t sleep on Return in the meantime. Loaded with enigmatic titles and graceful-yet-powerful grooves, Return Voyage, Gooseberry and Cuppa all hit with rolling, juggernaut prowess.
“With Cuppa there must have been something in the tea that day,” they collectively reminisce. “We were chain drinking the stuff and the vibes were on point. Sometimes all you need is a good brew.”
In case you’re wondering how Arcatype like their tea, Justin is the classical tea lover as he likes to “let it brew for at least 2 mins, dash of milk and no sugar.” Tommy is the honest, straight talking, coffee-loving tea drinker: “I love tea but prefer coffee and I don’t care who knows it.”
Meanwhile while Karl shows mild tendency of heathen with his take on another otherwise classic brew. “Milk in first, about a centimetre, then has to be Tetleys or PG tips and longer brewed for a fuller flavour (3-4 mins) No sugar, unless I’m feeling super fragile.”
Jubei definitely isn’t a milk-first type of guy – his drink of choice is black coffee (“and lots of it”) He needs it with the hectic release schedule Carbon have coming up: Clock In Clock Out, a brand new solo EP from Submotive, is up next followed by releases and appearances from the likes of Lenzman, Tyrone, Dub Phizix, SP:MC, Goldie, Jubei himself, plus whatever else lands on his lap through the demo drop and sums up the Carbon vibe. “We get demos regularly so it’s exciting,” says Jubei. “I’m looking forward to the next year as things build – label events are something I’m happy to see coming in also.”
The next label night is October 1 at Lost Horizon, Bristol where Arcatype will be playing alongside Breakage, Randall, Djinn, Jubei, Indigo and MCs SP:MC and Medic MC. Join them if you can.
In the meantime, grab this long-awaited Arcatype EP.
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