Suplex, the latest offering from Ottawa’s electronic trio A Tribe Called Red, finds the group jumping from one influence to the next, and even though this EP has a total of four songs (with one being a remix of another track on the EP), it seems like A Tribe Called Red wouldn’t have it any other way.
Back in 2012, when their debut album was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, Tribe already had a reputation for fusing traditional first nations singing and drumming with various electronic genres. This release, though short, does not disappoint.
The opener “Suplex (feat. Northern Voices)” pairs dubstep wobble bass with glitchy Aphex Twin snare rolls, while “The People’s Champ (feat. Hellnback)” finds Samson Cree rapper Karmen James Omeasoo (aka Hellnback) addressing modern Aboriginal issues like reservations and role models over standard hip-hop drum beats and bass lines. His verses may not be as smooth as other rappers, but the raw emotion on lines like “You talk and I walk, that’s the difference” are all that really matters.
The real standout track, however, is “Bodyslam” and its remix by Calgary production duo Smalltown DJs. The opening is part funk, part disco, almost like a lost drum take from Michael Jackson’s “Rock with You.” This fades away into a build that introduces the song and subsequent remix’s main synth line. “Bodyslam” is Suplex’s most danceable track, with plenty of bass drops over house-influenced beats.
Though the album moves around from track to track the intention is clear: A Tribe Called Red are using their music as a platform to promote other, often aboriginal, artists. Three out of the four tracks feature guest musicians from varying musical backgrounds.
The band wants diversity, and rightly so. Mainstream music, be it rock, pop or alternative, always struggles with the confines of a genre. If a song isn’t radio-friendly, if it’s not commercial, if it doesn’t fit the parameters of what the public want to hear, chances are it’ll have to fight to see the light of day.
Without artists promoting other independent, local artists we lose part of the variety that culture, especially music culture, needs in order to stay fresh and exciting.
As for A Tribe Called Red, they haven’t lost their taste for experimentation. They’ve struck a fine balance between traditional First Nations music and modern electronica.
