Bruise is Christian Campbell (Sona Vabos) and Darren House aka Diesel (Xpress-2, Ballistic Brothers). Their debut release, Presentation, on R&S-affiliated Meda Fury, is a Detroit-leaning E.P. – with four tracks on the vinyl, plus a digital bonus. Paying tribute to and updating the sound of Motor City – producers such as Dan Curtin, Jay Denham and James Pennington, labels like Black Nation, Metamorphic and Transmat – Jagged Angels is this crazy mix of cosmic jazz and groovy techno. Its big kick fittingly formidable – punishing. Imagine Janko Nilovic`s space age choir backed by banging, bent, angular synth shapes. An Art Of Stalking darkness lit by T-Coy-esque latino piano and syncopated “hats”. Resulting in uncompromising, uneasy-listening for effortless dancing. The electro-tinged Portrait is jazzier still. Popping and percolating, throwing fusion fills, and careful keys, over an 808 boom. Sharing the same musical street as the house that Tenderlonious recently built. With huge handclaps and orchestral stabs the similarly fusion-flavoured Wildflower recalls Phil Asher`s seminal Basic Soul stuff.
The tribal, thumping, Dark Sun is a sci-fi of scything cymbals and alien tones – of other planetary origins. Atmospheric and not afraid to cut and stutter the Amen, Brother break as the bass drops. Grand Hi however for me takes the disco biscuit – treated church pianos, carnival shouts, percussive fragments pitched about to 3-D wah-wah effect. It`s the kind of “garage” you’d find on UR`s Happy Records off-shoot, and with more than a referential nod to both Terrence Parker’s 4 / 4 gospel and Mayday`s strings (of life).
You can order a copy of Bruise`s Presentation E.P. directly from Meda Fury.
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