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Silicon Tare

Com Truise was certainly, for me at least, part of that third wave, 80s stylised beat-making that grabbed a much larger, more popular audience, alongside the already successful College and Electric Youth - who broke through massively with the release of the Drive soundtrack - Kavinsky and Lazerhawk. But unlike these guys, Com Truise has always managed to keep a boom-bap sensibility to his productions, maintaining that groove and atmosphere somehow, whilst it was washed over with lush futurist synthesis, and utilising those classic E-MU and DMX sounds to full effect.

Silicon Tare is a faster and more energetic outing than his previous, more adventurous in thematic and almost aggressive energy. Think more Kurt Russell blazing away from 80s post-apocalyptic New York than the Vangelis-inspired hip hop of earlier releases. The lush layering of cold synthetic chords and sliding Juno bass is still there, as satisfying as ever, and still hold the groove as before, but there is certainly a greater sense of theatre.

Switching between the driving, almost Gatekeeper-like ‘Forgive’, the high-pitched shuffle of ‘Diffraction’ and the loved-up introspection of the title track, whilst this might be quite a short release Cruise has managed to cover all bases with ease and without a sense of necessity.

All in all, Silicon Tareis a serene and effortless listen - fun and cheeky, and just the right level of montage-ability so as not to make that its gimmick.

Gordon Barker