Over the years Bristol has been home to numerous talents that have strived to develop and innovate their own style of dance music. From Massive Attack to My Nu Leng, the city boasts a rich musical history because it has nurtured the evolving dance music scene since its very early days. It is no wonder why we are seeing such amazing talent sprouting left right and centre in Bristol at the moment. One particular outfit that are making all the right noises currently are Ill Truth.
The duo’s sharp style and meticulous engineering skills has gained them attention from across the scene. And rightly so. With releases spanning across a host of upcoming and established labels such as Lifestyle Music, Technique Recordings and Intrigue Music, they have developed a unique yet diverse sound in a short space of time.
Taking this all into account, you can probably guess how excited we were when we heard the Ill Truth boys had produced a 4 track EP for Symmetry Recordings. After a brief hiatus following the 10 years LP, this marks the first release of the year for Bristol based label. We all know what Symmetry is about – releasing drum and bass of the highest calibre, and this latest EP is certainly that.
The title track ‘In Your Soul’ see’s Ill Truth team up with Satl and also enlisted the vocal talent of Charli Brix. It is everything that I expect from this combination of artists – crisp drums, soulful melodies and passionate vocals. This track hits all the right notes for me, it encapsulates this incredible vibe which immerses the listener in a musical dream. You’re going to be hearing this for a while to come; a truly beautiful piece of music.
Switching the style completely, up next ‘Discover’. Immediately you feel the tension from the first bar. Echoing howls and whistles lure you into the build up, as the drums die away everything silences. The drop just comes out of nowhere and slaps you in the face. Savage Reese bass combines with a simple yet hard hitting drum beat that is sure to have even my dog busting a groove to. If you need some dancefloor ammunition – look no further.
‘Tear Up’ is the third track of the EP. Again switching the styles, this time going in on half time beat. A dub inspired intro gives way to a murky bass infused stepper that continues to evolve after every 16 bars, keeping the listener forever guessing whats coming next. Those drums hit with so much force, they almost force your whole body to move with the beat. I can definitely see MC’s writing a few bars to this track.
Rounding off this already amazing 4 tracker, the duo give us ‘After Hours’. The title gives it away really, this is a 4am kinda tune. Eerie atmospherics are layered on top of rhythmic hat hits slowly fading into complete silence. Unrelenting techy drums and funky bass stabs then pound the listeners ears as this roller progresses. Intelligent and dynamic throughout, this one is a serious weapon!
The diversity of the duo shrines through massively on this EP showcasing their production capabilities to the max. Going dreamy rollers to powerful dancefloor smashers is to be admired. I am now more than ever looking forward to more of what Ill Truth are going to be putting out. Definitely a name to watch out for.
‘In Your Soul EP’ is currently available for preorder here ahead of the official release date on 9th June.
