In the absence of our man Ant, whose laying low with a tummy bug (get well soon kid) I've got the pleasure of announcing our album of the week. Norman's honour of the week goes to The Tuss aka Karen Tregaskin with "Rushup Edge" (Rephlex). It said to be the work of one Richard D James/Aphex Twin and on listening who could doubt it? Classic 'braindance' as the Rephlex massive would have it. Expertly controlled analogue tweaks-ace keyboard lines intertwined with bubbling b-lines and the kind of having-it aphex-acid only the man James could conjure up. It's not just the sounds, but the attention to the detail of where each string sweep is placed, where the next percussive fill is added, and for me, when the carefully executed break drop and melody line appears. Some other sounds and placements/edits/manipulation defy catergorisation and it's this that makes this set stand head and shoulders over many works of modern day pop. I'm not gonna go on about Cornish independence, fanboys and internet chat room bollocks just for the sake of it, all you need to know is that this is a quality electronic record produced by a modern day pioneer who knows as much about tweaking butts on a dancefloor as much as the hard/software he uses to execute such scene destroying sounds. If you thrilled to the Analord series and salivate over most Rephlex material then you're already sold on it. In fact its rudimentary to say that this'll piss out and it's de rigeur (obviously obvious) to make this recording of the week. Fanboy burial indeed!
Love this record? Hate it? Tell us.
What their label says...
‘Rushup Edge’ is the debut album of new Rephlex artists, “The Tuss”, a dynamic duo discovered via intensive MySpace exploration by the A&R department. Apparently touted by Planet Mu, XL Recordings, Record Makers and Ninjatune all at the same time, they eventually decided to sign with Rephlex for reasons of principle. The label is very excited to find an act with this degree of promise and hope to be releasing even more work soon.
The Tuss’ official line seems inspired by the time FFRR signed Chicago house legend Lil Louis’ smash hit “French Kiss”, even though they had no information about him at all at the time! The Tuss offers little biographical info, preferring to concentrate on the musical merits, which they describe as ‘Braindance’. Rephlex don’t really mind too much but hope to acquire some photographic evidence soon – watch this space!
2 x IC1 White - North European D.O.B’s: 18/03/1980 & 13/08/1976 Location: Cornwall, UK Recorded using: castrated dog scrotums Interests: none Occupation: Tuss
The album features 6 tracks featuring a unique blend of head music and dance vibes, everything from classic techno to modern funk, gabba, ambient and classical influences.
