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Tussle came on the scene in 2001
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, !!!, Deerhunter, Gang Gang Dance, eYe
(Boredoms), Zongamin, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Deerhoof and summer 2007
found them touring a epic 7 week US tour that included dates with Hot Chip,
YACHT and ADULT.
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 a religious cult (where he learned to play the
his first instrument, 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, although their label resides in
Oslo, Norway.
The overt nod to Jamaican Dub that defined their early sound is now downplayed
now. 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, 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 2007.
October 2007, Smalltown Supersound will release a 12" single and CDEP
WARNING (from Telescope Mind) with 4 remixes -- a 10 minute
epic remix by Hot Chip as well as a mix by Glasgow`s hottest; Optimo,and
Dennis Young of Liqiud Liquid remixes ELEPHANTS.
Tussle is Currently putting the finishing touches on it's third full length
album, slated for release in Febuary, 2008. This release finds Tussle taking
more risks with production and with Songwriting, it was recorded in LA by
Thom Monahan and will be produced by Thom Monahan (Devendra Banhart, Joanna
Newsom, Brightblack Morninglight, The Lilies) and Andy Cabic (their founding
bassist, Vetiver, Gnomonsong). There are more than a few surprises on this
album. Stay tuned for more details.
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