The Tuss- Confederation Trough EP
April 27, 2008
The Tuss
Confederation Trough
May 7th 2007
Rephlex Records
The Tuss- Rushup Edge Review
Frederick Foxtrott Battles the Tuss Cult
The Tuss- For Real Aphex Twin?
After lengthy discussion and little in the way of certitudes, we know that The Tuss is from England, is on Rephlex, and is very good. Plenty of people from We are the Music Makers, a site dedicated to acid electronica innovators like Richard D. James and Square Pusher, have their opinion as to who The Tuss actually is, and I have certainly had my thoughts on the matter. As I concluded in my article about The Tuss Cult, no matter who The Tuss is, the music deserves to be evaluated on its own merits, rather than some supposed or implied association with a master programmer.
The Confederation Trough EP was actually harder to get than I anticipated. I finally found a copy at Other Music in Manhattan. I noticed that they filed the EP under “Miscellaneous T” instead of Aphex Twin as they had earlier. I am not sure if this speaks to Other Music’s changed opinion on the matter, either way RDJ and Brian Tregaskin both be damned.
Confederation Trough is a great supplement to Rushup Edge, a Tuss LP also released in 2007, but it by no means matches it. Rushup Edge made many top 10 lists last year including Frederick Foxtrott’s with Rushup I Bank 12 serving as a perfect example of its greatness. There is nothing on Confederation Trough that is as smart or intense as what is offered on the LP follow up. The beats are danceable and quasi-accessible enough, but it is a softer, smoother collection more reminiscent of Aphex Twin’s earlier ambient work and his later Analord series.
Being that the collection is rather straight forward, it acts as a prelude to what would soon be released on Rushup Edge. As I mentioned, Confederation Trough is hard to find and can be a bit expensive, costing $10+ for three songs. Fredugolon 6, Alspacka, and Gxi Solo may seem too mundane for those out there who love brainy acid, but they are good tracks that will have an easy time finding their way on to your play list.
-FF
http://www.myspace.com/thetussofficial
http://www.rephlex.com
Also From The Tuss
Rushup Edge
Other Records as Other People
Aphex Twin
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994)
I Care Because You Do (1995)
Richard D. James (1996)
Come to Daddy (1997)
Windowlicker (1999)
Drukqs (2001)
Analord 10 (2005)
Chosen Lords (2006)
As AFX
Analogue Bubblebath (1991)
Analogue Bubblebath 2 (1991)
Analogue Bubblebath 3 (1993)
Analogue Bubblebath 4 (1994)
Hangable Auto Bulb (1995)
Analogue Bubblebath 3.1 (1997)
As Polygon Window
Surfing on Sine Waves (1993)
Sound off on your opinion…