Teebs’ latest release Collections 01 furthers the musical terrain developed on his debut album Ardour. For those of you who are not familiar with Teebs, the Brainfeeder label (founded by Steven Ellison, better known as Flying Lotus) logo should give you a clear indication of what you are about to engage with. Rather than acting as an album or EP, the artist associates this disc as being “[a]mini collection of ideas†akin to a drawn out series of paintings.
Tracks “Jahara’ and “Verbena Tea’ could have been outtakes from Flylo’ Cosmogramma, the use of slow swaying beats with interjections of percussive clicks and pops as well heavy sidechaining are unashamedly borrowed from Ellison’ mixing/production blueprints. “Verbena Tea’ even uses Rebekah Raff, whose harp playing graced a fair chunk of Cosmogramma. Most of Collections 01 utilizes a similar sonic pallet that is built around silky, warm, warbled synth tones that sail over the aforementioned rhythmic structures. Undercurrents of vinyl crackle and white noise seep in too, caressing the ear like the bubbling whitewash at the end of a broken wave.
Collections 01 is a sleek and well executed collection of tracks. The music operates on an unintrusive and subtle level; the slow building structures and warm, nostalgic tones are capable of immersing the headphone listener as well as being a conducive component to more active and social situations. This is where Teebs differs (slightly) from many of the LA’ scenes current crop. Whilst Collections 01 is by no means an original or groundbreaking artistic statement it is a welcomed addition to the overflowing cannon of post-Dilla instrumental beat releases.
Luke Bozzetto
