AGE OF AQUARIUS by TRIBE OF COLIN

RECORD OF THE WEEK, September 2019.

Londoner, Tribe Of Colin unites a lot of us here at Rush Hour. Much of his output to date (a 12", LP, 7", CDR and a tape - that we know about!) has often been talking points between the staff, and he manages to catch new customer ears with every release. Hence, a new T.O.C. gets a collective "OOOOH!" every time.

Now we have in our hands a double LP for West London's finest, Honest Jons Records. Four beautifully pressed sides, packaged in a hand-folded silk-screened sleeve, and housed in a PVC outer. Spread out on such a format gives the LP a classic album feel, and gives Colin a chance to explore a wealth of moods and rhythms over the course of the cohesive nine track outing.

As with his previous work, the sounds are left raw or re-taped, lacing them with hiss. This raw edge is in no way brutal, the producer notches off anything abrasive while allowing the beats to rattle and bass to properly rumble (this all comes through so well on this great pressing). It's this dub-like sound appreciation that gives his music a wider appeal than the styles might often suggest it would. It's old-school music-making with a truly hands-on process, reminding you there's a human at the controls at all times. A major charm of Colin's rugged production is the way he employs psychedelic EQing, and effect pedal science that take his stripped-down tracks into heavy and tripping realms. True grit through hard work.

Colin seems to revel in the beats in-between, and in the most sparse moments where the music sparks real nostalgia. Although maybe quite unwittingly, he seemingly carries on the tradition of the decades old UK 'broken techno' school (maybe a reference for those that remember the Deepart / Terry Brookes Rush Hour connection), and the B-Boy minded drum programming from the second wave of Detroit producers. There's a rhythmic understanding in these tracks that not only makes the music interesting but also really really good. Mind music for dark vibing basements and lonely metro rides. Right now this feels about as an autumnal a record as you can get.

We recommend you don't sleep on this beautifully packed album from a very exciting producer.

(PF)