AIM READIES 'BEST OF' COMP

UK trip-hop don Aim, master of the cinematic beats track, is preparing to release a 'best of' selection on his own ATIC Records in April. The producer has been hailed by many for his mainly instrumental productions, which have been synced for many adverts and television themes.

Andrew Turner, aka Aim, released his first material on Grand Central, the Manchester label started by Mark Rae from Rae & Christian. His first album, 'Cold Water Music' was named after the ice cold classic that went on to appear on many chillout compilations in the late-nineties. 

His second album, 'Hinterland' in 2002, featured more vocalists including Kate Rogers from Grand Central and Stephen Jones, aka Babybird — whose best-known track was 'You're Gorgeous'.

After leaving Grand Central in the mid-noughties, Aim started his own ATIC Records imprint, on which he now releases this best-of selection. “The selection came together pretty quick, but finalising the sequence took a fair few CDRs and long car rides to nowhere,” Aim explains. “Every time I added or moved something, I had to listen through from start to finish to make sure the album flowed and worked as a self-contained whole.”

Aim says that 'Fall Break' and 'Interview' remain his favourites of his own productions.

Aim has called the selection 'Drum Machines & VHS Dreams' to try to reflect the optimism of growing up in the colourful 1980s. “It seemed that most of what was cool was either independent, or invented and driven by kids — BMX, skateboarding, arcade games, horror movies...” he says.

The best of comp precedes an album collaboration with East Coast hip-hop legends QNC (Q-Ball & Curt Cazal) and an all-new Aim solo album later this year.