Quantum-Source: Birth
Droid: Andavert Traveler
Nichts: First Pressure
Nova-Sak: Pure & Brilliant
Blackcell: Coaxing Seed From Soil
Pentalith: The Eyes Of Air
Sporadik: Object Permanence
The Weirdnerd: Rough Seas
440hz: dv8
Kuxaan-Sum: Writhing Ov Three Serpents
Syphilis Sauna: 2 Cultures (One Slide)
Necrotek: Spectre

The concept behind "A Tribe Called Glitch Vol.1 - Elements of Circuitry" is a complex one revolving around the commonality of themes amongst primitive communities and how these themes translate to modern society considering the developments in technology available to us. The resulting compilation album features a diverse range of musical styles from industrial dance to IDM through to drum 'n' bass, dark electronica and noise with each artist contributing their own interpretation of the theme.

Opening proceedings is the almost anthemic 'Birth' by Quantum-Source which is almost like a call to arms resembling a huge digital war machine rumbling into battle. Droid's 'Andavert Traveler' slows things down with a low rumbling bass, elastic beats, circling swirls and an unexpected melodic quality. Maintaining the low key introduction is Nichts with the insistent tribal rhythms and grating whirs of 'First Pressure'. It isn't long however before Nova-Sak comes along and things turn nasty with the random metallic distortion of 'Pure & Brilliant'. Returning to the relative calm of Nichts is Blackcell with the ominous mood, hissy beats and marching bass of 'Coaxing Seed from Soil' followed by a similar but harder, more distorted and more ferocious track from Pentalith and an interesting drone meets digital hip-hop fusion track from Sporadik. Weirdnerd contributes a track inside a track with 'Rough Seas' which on one hand is a drum 'n' bass excursion but on the other is a foray into a tropical rainstorm wilderness - very odd. 440Hz follow this with 'DV8' which is a deep bassy jungle workout that is followed by a lengthy industrial IDM experiment in the form of Kuxaan-Sum's 'Writhing of Three Serpents'. Syphilis Sauna again shows his humorous side with the digital glitch meets Greek music experiment that works surprisingly well. Necrotek's 'Spectre' closes the album with the increasing anxiety of its repetitive beat and shifting background.

"A Tribe Called Glitch Vol.1 - Elements of Circuitry" is certainly a diverse collection of tracks ranging in influence and style from hip-hop through to traditional music that can be found in various communities worldwide. Ranging from harsh metallic clatters to smooth rhythmic beats, this compilation takes in the scope of styles in between to produce a varied listening experience with the usual variance in quality you might expect from a compilation such as this. What might be considered high points throughout this album really depends on your chosen music tastes but there should be something for most people interested in the genre.

PRL