Intro
In Circles searches for beauty in the mundane. The five-piece work consists of Boxwell reflecting on years of running in circles, expressed through intricate electronic chamber pop that celebrates peace of mind and the freedom it allows. It was composed in North London’s manic bustle and recorded in the serene English countryside, devoid of the former’s hedonistic distractions. This stark contrast resonates throughout the EP, building tension which is gradually released.
The EP wrestles with the fear of mediocrity while embracing the ordinary as the essence of being. It is the routines of daily performances that weave the fabric of existence. It is in the mundane that peace is to be found.
In Circles chases and at times imitates the confident vulnerability of Joni Mitchell’s Blue, while touching on Björk’s love of the bizarre and Phoebe Bridgers’ confessional lyrics.
Boxwell is Swiss-English musician Max Jappert’s Zurich-based musical blog. Boxwell compulsively creates electronic chamber pop to circle in on and give thanks to the many faces of intense beauty. It is an agnostic celebration of the divine, of sunrises, lying under trees, fresh laundry, and powdery snow. Characterised by delicate arrangements backed by programmed drum sequences and confessional lyrics, Boxwell reminds one of Sufjan Stevens, Björk, The Notwist, Big Thief, etc.
After a nine-year engagement with the Basel band Weird Fishes, Boxwell has become the main creative outlet, having grown into a distinct and unique aesthetic with remarkable depth. Boxwell started performing in 2022 and in 2023 released the debut album Tilt, co-produced by Konstantin Aebli (Lost in Lona, Pina Palau), followed by the self-produced EP Mutton Place a year later. In Circles is Boxwell’s second EP.
1. “I Am Not Yours (And You Are Not Mine)” (2:44)
The EP opens with a smooth drone paired with vibey synths, a drum machine, and soft vocals that feel almost vocoder-treated. Right away, the atmosphere is set. When the bass drops out, it really highlights how large and immersive the sound is, and when things pull back again, a playful, toy-like synth enters that keeps the track feeling light and engaging.
Lyrically, the song feels doubtful and searching, circling ideas of love, detachment, and early self-discovery. There’s a strong sense of youth here – not just romantically, but emotionally – as if the narrator is questioning whether connection is possible at all, or whether defining it too early risks losing oneself.
The mix sounds super warm and electric in the best way. Sonically, it feels like if Youth Lagoon and The Postal Service had a baby, and that baby hung out with George Clanton before making a record. There’s a strong sense of what I’d call “mid-fi beauty” here, with a really pleasing blend of consonance and dissonance, especially in the synth textures. The vocal delivery has a static, soft-spoken quality that works surprisingly well, and I really enjoyed the call-and-response vocals toward the end of the track. It’s an inviting and confident way to start the EP.
2. “Melancholy Cloud” (3:09)
Palm-muted guitars carry the opening section of this track, adding to the fragility and beauty of the vocals. When the bells come in, we’re reminded just how lush Boxwell’s production choices are. The song feels very reminiscent of early Youth Lagoon’s The Year of Hibernation, where the guitars remain simple to allow the electronic elements to shine.
Lyrically, this track leans heavily into uncertainty – not just in direction, but in emotional processing itself. Lines like “I forget how I feel / Watching sunsets” and “How can I learn to heal / So much regret” capture a quiet confusion that feels deeply internal. There’s an awareness of memory, storytelling, and emotional archives, paired with an acceptance that not everything needs resolution right away. It feels like coming to terms with not knowing.
Each section introduces something new, whether it’s additional drum hits, more vocal harmonies, or another layer of pads. The gradual build keeps the track engaging without overwhelming it, and the balance between restraint and detail is handled really well.
3. “Like We’ve Gone Insane” (4:12)
By the third track, we’re fully introduced to some of my favorite elements of Boxwell’s sound. The warm pads and minimal but beautifully produced drums stand out immediately. The drum programming feels very CR-78 inspired and strongly reminiscent of The Postal Service, which is absolutely a compliment.
I really enjoyed the poetic delivery of the lyrics here, especially the small bouts of repetition that quietly drive the song forward in an introspective, introverted way. The imagery – an overcrowded train, resting heads, shared silence – feels intimate without being overstated. Lines like “Like we don’t need words / Like we don’t need names” reinforce that sense of closeness through stillness, letting repetition do the emotional heavy lifting.
Plucked string sounds enter the mix, almost like an Asian plucked string instrument, adding a delicate and percussive texture. The synth selection throughout this track feels very 90s, almost like something pulled from a Roland JV-1080 or similar ROM sampler. As a musician, I find myself really curious about the production decisions here, especially in how the percussive elements are chosen and placed. This track feels meticulous without losing its emotional softness.
4. “Suffolk in the Sun” (4:05)
This song feels like an outlier in the same way “The Saltwater Room” stands out on Owl City’s Maybe I’m Dreaming. Moving from a synth-heavy sound to an acoustic guitar is a bold stylistic shift, but it works beautifully here. The vocals are less static on this track and lean more heavily on harmonies, which suits the song perfectly.
Lyrically, the song reads almost like a journal entry – intimate, reflective, and fragmented in a very human way. It paints a vivid picture of processing loss, with recurring thoughts circling back on themselves. The idea of “drawing circles in the mind” feels especially fitting, reinforcing the EP’s themes of memory, fixation, and emotional loops, while imagery like “Suffolk in the sun” grounds those thoughts in a specific, bittersweet place.
When the bass and pads enter, it becomes clear why this track belongs on the EP. It’s deeply atmospheric, and the whole song gives the feeling of floating. The call-and-response vocals are immaculate, and the subtle counterpoint throughout adds a lot of depth. I also love the moments where the guitars briefly lift into higher registers after remaining static for so long. And once again, the bass really shines, grounding everything with warmth.
5. [Final Track]
The closing track keeps a constant rhythm driven by guitar and subtle percussive elements, similar to song two, but with a more eerie tone. As the rhythm gradually dissolves into more arrhythmic pads, the focus slowly shifts toward the lyrics. A falling electric piano melody appears, highlighting just how much care goes into Boxwell’s production choices.
Lyrically, I love the sparse glimpses of objects and situations – radio stations, ashtrays on the bed, long conversations – that feel disconnected at first but slowly reveal a wandering, restless mind. The vagueness works in the song’s favor, allowing the listener to fill in the gaps. It feels like drifting through thoughts rather than following a linear narrative, which is a perfect way to close the EP.
Overall, In Circles comes across as a very tender EP. It works beautifully as a background listen, but it’s equally rewarding in quieter moments, late at night, or first thing in the morning. The pads and drums are what really make this release special, giving it a gentle emotional pull that lingers long after it ends.
9/10
Written by John Drifter (drifting.) (IG: @drifting.musically)
