The preview mix on Soundcloud threw up question marks and for the most part did not catch my ear very well, and I initially dismissed the group’s name as being befitting to music genres that I normally really don’t care much for (it was only later that I discovered TRAKA is the Serbian word for Tape, referring to their supposed analogue-inspired musical style). Suffice to say I went into this one being skeptical, but with a fresh mind nevertheless…

I was wrong, and I am so incredibly glad that I was wrong, because TRAKA and their debut release have quite honestly been one of the greatest musical surprises for me in a very long time! I’m going to forego my usual nonsense buildups to the actual track reviews and just straight up say that this release is absolutely incredible! The whole thing has a really cool unique flair to it and all the tracks are so wonderfully varied and creative, each and every one of them. The preview mix genuinely does not do this release any justice whatsoever. There is so much more musical content to discover in here than what meets the eye. I was genuinely blow away by the amount of variety that these guys have managed to stuff in these eight tracks, and how incredibly well styled it all is. TRAKA have somehow managed to attune this release straight to my tastes in music which is perhaps why I am so enthusiastic about it. Sure there are a few rough edges, but nothing is perfect at the end of the day. So, without further ado, let’s get into why I think this release is so good.

Intro

I’ve covered a number of releases that feature intros in the past, and I always find them a bit difficult to write about considering their length and limited musical features. The short piece of music that TRAKA opens their release with however is much more interesting to listen to. A nice rolling beat is presented straight from the get-go, featuring nice crisp drums and a lovely smooth bass that sets a nice chill atmosphere. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out this only goes on for about a minute! I believe there is some great potential in this track and would have certainly really liked to see it go on for longer. Still though, no matter the length, Intro plants this release’s foot firmly into the ground and gives a good idea of what’s to come, whilst at the same time holding the distinction of being one of the best dedicated release intros I have heard thus far.

Stomp

One thing that might not be immediately noticeable digitally, but immediately becomes apparent when listening to the vinyl of this release is that the tracks are arranged so that they directly flow into one another. As such, Intro flows directly into the heavily sidechained beats of Stomp. A very befitting title considering the heavy kickdrum quite literally stomps the rest of the music out of the way as it progresses. The lead synth which gives this track its immediate hook has a very interesting and peculiar sound to it, which is even more pronounced as it receives abuse from the percussion in the track. Stomp has a very gritty and raw feeling to it which doesn’t always tickle my fancy, but I think it fits well with the various elements of the track consistently pulsing back and forth, fighting for the listener’s attention. Halfway through the track an unexpected ominous and muffled choir is introduced and completely transforms the track into something different. I mentioned earlier that the preview mix of this release does not do it justice and Stomp is one of the many tracks that exemplifies this. This lovely surprising twist is part of what could be called a very long outro which slowly builds down the track’s intensity. I cannot tell you how much I love these kinds of twists in music, and this release is full of them. Stomp starts out as an interesting oddity yet ends in a very structured and soothing manner. I cannot say this track is my favourite but the theme is there and it’s certainly well done.

Hybrid

Woo Ha! Hybrid leaves Stomp’s heavy pounding beats and trades them in for something a bit more lo-fi. Hybrid’s key features are the dark grumbling bassline being pushed forward by some simple filtered percussion, further layered with interesting melodic plucks and featuring what is perhaps the best and most amusing use of a vocal sample I have ever heard! I do have to say that there is a certain undertone to the Hybrid bassline that I find a bit odd to listen to, but it no doubt makes the track recognizable. A difficult feat to accomplish with just a bassline really. Interestingly enough, it seems as though the track took note of this when I first listened to it, as a secondary bassline is introduced past the 2/3 mark which both to me sounds better, and adds an interesting layer of complexity to it when combined with the already familiar bass. Shame this section only lasts a short while though. The whole track is actually fairly short but most tracks of this genre seem to be really. As far as a track focusing primarily on its bass goes it is a pretty good one. I come back to Hybrid a lot and it’s certainly grown on me, if only just for the woo ha that makes me smirk every time I hear it.

Start Taking Note (ft. Killa P)

Either this track takes its name from the release, or the release is named after it. I assume the former. Either way, it is the only track here that has an accredited vocalist which always makes me a little apprehensive as usual. I’m probably repeating myself ad nauseam on this point but fortunately it seems I have subconscious double standards when it comes to vocals sometimes. What this means is that I actually quite like this track. I can’t put my finger on it but I find Killa P’s vocal delivery not intrusive in any way. Matter of fact, I actually find it quite to my liking. The vocals are delivered fast and in an aggressive manner, and although they are a bit hard to follow this perhaps adds to the charm of them. Perhaps what really sells this track for me is the rather splendid beat that they are layered over. The punching lo-fi drums are quite reminiscent of Hybrid’s, but instead push along a delicious single note sub-bass that adds well to the track’s hostile in-your-face atmosphere. At points, breaks and extra drum hits synergize with the lyrics which makes the track more dynamic and interesting to listen to. Another thing I quite like is the fine balance between the actual music and lyrical content: both the lyrics and beat are both present in equal measure. Something that points this out particularly well is TRAKA having left room in the rear end of the track for an evil sounding ripping saw lead that translates the tone of Killa P’s aggressive flurry of lyrics into musical form and brings the music strongly to the foreground, after which the track ends. I am very surprised to find a lyrical track that I don’t just like, but actively come back to. Perhaps it’s the energy of this track that I find myself attracted to… who knows...

Mitsushi

Mitsushi gives the release’s sound an interesting twist with its oriental sounding plucks which do well to represent the theme given by the track’s title. The track is a bit more regressed initially, being fairly mellow in contrast to most of the release. The relatively relaxed atmosphere of the track is quickly shattered by the introduction of a powerful saw bass that sets the tone for the remainder of this piece. I can’t help but notice that this event also lowers the key of the track. I can’t really tell if this is intentional or not… Regardless, the atmosphere darkens a lot when leading up to the drop which is yet another example how hard it is to capture the full creative output of this release in shortened form. Mitsushi actually “drops” very late, into a messy, broken but technically splendid groove. This persists for about ten seconds after which the track unexpectedly speeds up dramatically. It’s only short, but the extreme contrast in this little piece of music is something I very much enjoy listening to. The track returning to its normal pace shortly afterwards strengthens this even more and leaves you with a bit of a “what the hell just happened” kind of feeling, in the best possible way. Mitsushi is a track that for me does not directly stand out musically, but does stand out technically with its interesting quirks that make it a lot of fun to listen to.

Flux

I have come to instantly recognize Flux’s intro as it is a track I come back to a lot, but before I got there I’ll admit I had to get used to it first. Flux’s signature trademark is the very prominent “dah”, being used as vocal instrument used during most of the track. Yeah I’ll admit I found this weird at first, and initially threw me off. Funny enough Flux’s underlying music is very well attuned to what I like so I listened past it and it has now become part of the track’s charm. The powerful gritty bass notes form a very likeable pattern when they are introduced, and the percussion that follows when the track drops afterwards is crisp, on point and most of all has a very unique rhythm. It sounds very wobbly and unstable, yet steady rolls along at the same time. Flux continues to shift from pattern to pattern as a more regular beat takes over after the whirlwind of hats and kicks earlier. Perhaps the best and most imposing section of this track happens when this beat disintegrates into a reverb and reveals a noisy saw lead which carries enough power to make you freeze on the spot as it commands you to listen to it. The soundscape presented at the end of Flux is quite simply so strong and formidable, yet at the same time its play with melody is very pleasing to listen to. It’s hard to describe it in words, you need to hear it for yourself. Regardless, it is a brilliant unexpected ending to what is already a pretty stellar track in its own right. Flux is an absolutely crucial example of this release’s musical depth and variety.

Agnostic

Agnostic is one of those pieces of music that really has one select thing going for it, but manages to pull it off exceedingly well. Of course, the strange sounding choir-esque intro is very good by itself, but where Agnostic really shines is its main section using nothing but drums and bass notes to deliver the full spectrum of what a track should contain. There is no leads or plucks here, the melodic elements are all done by the bassline itself. I think this is in part accomplished by the bassline being both strong at the low end, but also featuring the gritty high end grinding sound that is able to convey melodic notes. I am pretty convinced it is all the same sound, which makes this a really cool example of getting the absolute maximum out of very little. It’s a shame that Agnostic, like many tracks on this release, is a little short. I would have liked to see the track go on for a bit longer. Having said that, this is partially compensated by an incredible outro which is tacked onto the end of the main bit. This is very strongly reminiscent of Subp Yao’s style used in his rather excellent Infra Aqual album released a little earlier. The outro adds a strong dark contrast in comparison to Agnostic’s rather jovial and uplifting theme, whilst not being long and intrusive enough to warrant criticism for it being a track-in-a-track (although it could very well stand as something by itself). Less is more is definitely the case when it comes to Agnostic, and I believe it is the reason that makes this track yet another standout amongst the large array of quality on this release.

Isolated

Isolated’s intro from the get go immediately hints towards a fast and energetic track after the drop and it certainly does not disappoint. After the drop the track rolls along with a very dark and gritty vibe, perhaps being the most energetic track out of the bunch. I find it hard to categorize this track genre wise: it has a drum and bass tempo, yet feels a bit too slow to immediately nail it down as such. In either case, TRAKA demonstrate their technical skill to their fullest. This heavy section of music features a rather impressive flurry of bass warps and percussive complexity, similarly featured earlier in the release but fully on display here. This is all very good and well, but Isolated’s best bit comes after this. Like Flux, the heavy pounding of the beats breaks open and reveals this absolutely stunningly beautiful harmonic choir section. This is perhaps one of the greatest entrancing pieces of sound that I have ever heard in my entire life. Quite honestly this is exactly the kind of sound I strive to achieve myself when making music of my own. The combination of this ethereal choir with the underlying grumbling bass note is just absolute perfection to me. As this is technically the last track of the release, TRAKA adds a long outro in the form of a noisy melodic soundscape, followed by a glitchy ominous atmosphere, winding down the energy of the earlier track and bringing the release to its conclusion. Isolated combines two aspects of TRAKA's style that I have come to admire strongly: an affinity for harmonics and an ear for powerful heavy beats. It is perhaps a bit less focused than some of the other work on this release, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is hands down my favourite track of the bunch.

Lost Tape (Bonus track)

It’s a shame really, but Lost Tape starts off being rather lackluster, a criticism which is completely alien to the rest of this release. The low pitched wail of the repeating bassline is not one of my favourite sounds, and the backing beat is just too simple. There’s some interesting breaks in the beat but it doesn’t do very much. The beat speeds up a bit not too much later, but it does little to make the track more interesting. The music up to this point has not filled me with much hope, but fortunately the track does a complete 180 when it introduces a lovely warm humming bass, which is followed by a very catchy lead melody. Turns out the first bit of the track was just a very long intro after all. I can only give compliments to this transition here, it is as if the sun has risen over the mundaneness of the intro and transformed the track into something that radiates fun all around. In contrast to the intro, when the track drops again the bassline now forms a solid note which the melody that is carried forward can perfectly latch on to. The whole track like this is absolutely stellar. It would have been nice to see the track start out like this and develop from there, but the contrast set by the intro is perhaps what augments the surprise. Plus, this entire release has many instances of tracks dropping unexpected surprised halfway through tracks so it fits that theme very well.

“Start Taking Note”. It’s a bold title. Coming from a new group it’s very bold indeed as it can backfire. TRAKA certainly are not lacking in self-confidence. Their confidence is justified though: Start Taking Note is a brilliant fun-packed release full of creativity and variety. What really stands out for me is that nearly every single track has its own unique interesting twist. Matter of fact, all of these tracks combined have so many ideas in them you could probably triple this release in length if they were all fully fleshed out. Not only is the music varied, it is also produced with that magic touch that makes it incredibly listenable, no matter how out-there the ideas might be. TRAKA certainly have a very good ear for what works when it comes to the way they produce their stuff. For their debut release it really seems as though TRAKA want to show the world the extent of their creative ideas within the limits that the release sets, and they have done a damn good job. As for myself, I can say that I’ve never been more pleased to be proven wrong. I am beyond excited what these guys will come up with in the future and I will be following their every move.

Final rating: 9/10

Favourite track: Isolated

TRAKA's Start Taking Note is out now and both its splendid vinyl and digital release are available here via the YUKU Bandcamp store.

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