Tussle
Telescope Mind (Smalltown Supersound)

Tussle came on the scene some years ago and immediately made a name for themselves with their uncontrived take on rhythm music. Their "coveted 12inch singles" (The Wire) on Troubleman Unlimited first caught the eyes of international crate-diggers and tastemakers alike - among them the Optimo DJs, John Peel (RIP) and Trevor Jackson. Behind those records, they toured Europe and Japan and played alongside a diverse cast of bands and artists, mirroring the band's no-genre approach - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karlheinz Stockhausen, !!!, Gang Gang Dance, eYe (Boredoms), Andrew Weatherall, Zongamin, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Deerhoof and this November they share a stage with The Slits.

Upon release of their debut album, the critically-lauded Kling Klang, the group were selected for URB's prestigious Next 100; and Pitchfork picked the group as one of 5 artists to watch in the future. They continued playing unorthodox spaces/venues and in that time played in art spaces such as Deitch Projects, the Frieze Art Fair in London, San Francisco MOMA, and Jack Hanley Gallery, travelled to Scandinavia and did U.S. tours with Architecture in Helsinki, Outhud, Eats Tapes and Yellow Swans.

Since then, the group's line-up has shifted. Bassist Andy Cabic left the group amicably in 2005 to be a permanent fixture in Devendra Banhart's group and to concentrate on his solo project, Vetiver. Initially, this called the very future of the band into question. But sometimes blessings come in disguise. On Telescope Mind, Tussle’s original drummer Alexis switched from drums to bass and percussion and new drummer Warren - who's played with Damo Suzuki and Daevid Allen of Soft Machine/Gong fame - taking his place, the resultant album captures a group expanding their scope to dizzying effect.

Tussle today still consists of two drummers, (Warren Huegel and Jonathan Holland), bassist Tomo Yasuda (electronics guru of Hey Willpower) and knob twiddler Nathan Burazer. Nathan and Jonathan have been making music together since their North Carolina days in the early 90s, where they became roommates shortly after Nathan left his father’s religious cult (where he learned to play the guitar). The two moved to San Francisco to go to art school, eventually meeting Warren (originally from Southern California) and Tomo (originally from Japan) through mutual friends. To this day, Tussle still lives in San Francisco, California.

The overt nod to Jamaican Dub that defined their early sound is now downplayed. In its place, Telescope Mind is more experimental and yet more pop. One moment, they hone in on explicit dance jams (kindly refer to tracks such as "Warning", "Second Guessing" or "Trappings" - the last of which will appear as a limited edition 12" released by White Columns art gallery in Manhattan), yet others happily pursue more abstract atmospheres (see "Cloud Melodie" and "Elephant"). There are traces of Faust and Cluster-like ambience, This Heat-ish and Tropicalia-like experimentalism, Bollywood rhythms, even Sound Library-like experimentation. On "Pow!", the group is joined by Sal Principato and Dennis Young of Liquid Liquid, the legendary NYC rhythm group, recently heard on DFA's "Compilation #2". Tussle was thrilled to have them contribute and to meet the members of Liquid Liquid, as they are heroes to the young men. A meeting, which in effect could have amounted to a ‘passing of the torch’, (or should we say …‘drumstick’?) to the next generation of rhythm music architects.

In the end, Telescope Mind points to a group who prefers to make music for music's sake and to this day are still doing what they originally set out to do: to make a motherf**ker dance. This is an album that is adventurous and captivating and just too easy to love. And it may just prove to be one of the highlights of this year.

Prior to the album, Smalltown Supersound will release a 12" single with two remixes -- a 10 minute long epic mix by Hot Chip as well as a mix by Glasgow`s hottest; Optimo.

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