In Your Gut Like a Knife is the debut EP for Gang Colours, hailing from the South Coast of the UK (Southampton to be exact) Will Ozanne blends a playful and delicate assemblage of electronic and dance styles referencing Untold, Burial, James Blake, Wookie and home-town heroes, The Artful Dodger! Brought to the attention of Giles Peterson’ label through Ghostpoet, Gang Colours share the magpie-like eclecticism and open ears that typified Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam; a more fitting participant in the UK’ urban/dance continuum would be difficult to find.
Opening with “Village and City’ dense and detailed post-dubstep (and UK garage) electronic wonkiness is balanced out by extended interludes of stereo field headphonic bliss, yet the drop heralded by ticking snares and a spacious bass progression around half way through would have the most ardent purists cutting loose on the dance floor. Of course, there’ a disembodied R & B diva in there as well… “Fireworks in Pocket’s takes inspiration from the Bleep and Bass moves of Sweet Exorcist or LFO on the fledgling Warp label, and adds a soulful swing with an Untold covering Massive Attack vibe. Pointillist details and poignant textures abound on “Dance Around the Subject’, although it’s almost too well produced for these ears. Where are the rough edges, the grit and sheer late-night madness of earlier iterations of the UK bass sound? At certain points of this EP, I’m reminded of Simon Reynolds’ description of modern musicians producing an influence rich, hyper-detailed sound that can end up sounding, in Reynolds’ words “Glutted/Clotted’ – trying valiantly to transcend the weight of the past and the expectations of this shiny digital age, but coming across as over-saturated and a touch too sweet. And, that’s again where I find my thoughts gathering during the title track to In Your Gut Like a Knife. Vocal tics are sliced and diced, Luomo style and there’ a spacious, reflective and melodic foundation, but the effect is more Facebook post than Unfinished Sympathy.
Oliver Laing
