If you’ve got a sense of self-character, it’s easy to stick to your guns and just ‘do you.’ It is however becoming increasingly harder to ignore what everyone else is doing. As the internet provides ample voice for anyone willing to shout loud enough, there’s a constant bombardment of next hype – a million people screaming for your attention in unison. Trying to distance yourself from it so that it ends up just sounding like a dull din in the background shouldn’t really be as hard as it is and save logging off a computer and living an extended holiday for a couple of years, its proving tough not look at it and watch how the influence of what others do ripples out and seeps further into the perpetual echo chamber that is the internet. So when you find an artist who has a vision and sticks to it you stick with them.

Brownswood Recordings signing Gang Colours is fast becoming someone I’d like to put in that category. Being in the privileged position to have received music from Will Ozanne before he’d confirmed his debut release for Gilles Peterson’s label, he’s since busily explored a realm soaked in sepia; a melancholia that rides a slower pace than the work of someone like Deadboy – an artist who capably harnesses a similar vein of bitter sweetness. Triggered by his piano work, the Gang Colours project feels disjointed – like at times his melody out shines his drum work tenfold and vice versa, often in the same song – and his In Your Gut Like A Knife EP fully embellishes that, playing off its insecurities.

The bookending slow jams of ‘Village & City’ and ‘In Your Gut…’ are highlights, letting the more dancefloor focused stuttering of ‘Firewoks In Your Pocket’ and ‘Dance Around The Subject’ trickle with busted synth work that breezes over the awkwardly snatched percussion. Like the haze of a London street after a summer storm, it’s all bright and emotive, hinting, as unsubtly with its track titles as its choice of vocal samples, at better times and landmark personal experiences.

We’re excited to be able to represent Gang Colour’s vision on the 88th Sonic Router mix; its lush tones are bonding and his first release seems to wash over you with a kind of intricate melodic pleasantry that you won’t ever notice until you concentrate.

http://www.sonicrouter.com/2011/06/sr-mix-88-gang-colours-brownswood/

Kayot – One Week On Cuba
Seekae – +Dome
Tokimonsta – Darkest (Dim) Feat. Favin Turek
Ifan Dafydd – No Good
Kevin Mcphee – Get in With You
Hot Chip – So Glad to see you
Carmen McRae – How Long Has This been going on (MJ Cole Remix)
LV & Message to the Bears ft Zaki Ibrahim – Explode
Pedestrian – Midsummer Common
Dj Dials – Pillowforts
(Kayot – One week in Cuba)
Clams Casino – The World Needs Change
Taylor McFerrin – done for
Gang Colours – In your gut like a knife
Nice Drake – Which Will

http://www.sonicrouter.com/