Silicon Tare

Album review

Com Truise's summery synth-funk generally excludes vocals, so it might not immediately be apparent that his releases, starting with 2011 full-length Galactic Melt, have followed a sci-fi story arc. The Com Truise saga is centered around a synthetic astronaut sent from Earth to the distant Wave 1 colony. By the end of 2014's Wave 1 EP, he's reached the colony, but then the story starts to heat up, as he falls in love, and a war is imminent. The Silicon Tare EP sounds like it's gearing up for intergalactic space battle, with faster, more urgent tempos than any previous Com Truise release. It's also his most technologically advanced recording to date, doing without the hazy, grainy textures he's become known for, and shooting for a high definition sound. These five tracks are busy and detailed while still managing to feel relaxed and at ease. He doesn't sound tense or angry here, he's just more excited and vibrant. The songs still use the types of neon synth tones and Prince-esque drum machines that have always been present in his work, but here they seemed more bent on futuristic expression rather than retro pastiche. The EP's star-struck title track is the only selection with a slower tempo, and it feels like a slo-mo love scene. Considering how reliable Com Truise has become at delivering a certain mood with each release, it's a little bit alarming how much more focused and ambitious this one is -- and it's just an EP! Silicon Tare is an exciting warm-up for the epic conclusion to the Com Truise story.
© Paul Simpson /TiVo