Tru Thoughts Schallplatten & CDs

Review: It's been 13 years since Will Holland delivered his eclectic, electronica-heavy debut album under the now-familiar Quantic alias. In that time, he's turned into something of a globetrotting fusionist, variously turning his hand to heavy revivalist funk, Cuban beats, cumbia and sweet downtempo grooves. On Magnetica, his ninth album as Quantic, he draws together all of these strands, delivering a dub-heavy set that does a brilliant job in showcasing the sheer breadth and diversity of his influences. With plenty of Latin instrumentation, a huge cast list of guests and nods to early influences such as hip-hop, reggae, electronica and folk, it feels like the culmination of a thrilling, 13-year journey. As a result, it's arguably his strongest set for some time.

Review: Since he's such a prolific collaborator and creator of bands, it's easy to overlook the fact that Will Holland hasn't released a solo album as Quantic for almost five years. "Atlantic Oscillations", then, is a welcome return - particularly since Tru Thoughts boss Robert Luis thinks it's Holland's "most cohesive and intricate album to date". It's certainly a strong collection, with Holland wrangling multiple styles, tempos and musical influences to create cuts that defy easy categorization. While there are downtempo moments, "Atlantic Oscillations" includes more bona-fide club cuts then he's delivered in recent years, with sun-kissed disco cut "September Blues", Cuban disco-funk workout "Atlantic Oscillations" and Afro-Latin house bumper "Motivic Retrograde" standing out.

Review: This is the fourth solo album by Quantic and Will Holland's eighth full-length production. A year and a half in the making, "An Announcement To Answer" marks the next step in the evolution of Quantic's sound, broadening his musical palette whilst still delivering the trademark funky grooves that have made him a surefire floorfiller for DJs worldwide. Inspired and educated (as opposed to influenced) by the records he discovered whilst traveling and working in Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Benin, Ghana and Ethiopia, Quantic has fused the traditional sounds of these countries with hip hop, soul, funk and jazz to produce his own potent musical brew. Much of the album was written and recorded on a laptop in various locations around the world including Puerto Rico and the Candela studios in San Juan during an extended period of international gigging and crate-digging. Experimenting with new techniques and collaborating with the talented people he met during his travels has endowed Quantic's music with a greater depth, intricacy and level of sophistication than ever before. Guest artists on the album include Noelle Scaggs from The Rebirth, Ohmega Watts and Puerto Rican percussionist Tempo, who has previously worked with Roberto Roena of the legendary Fania All Stars.

Review: It's commonly known if you cut Will 'Quantic' Holland, he'd bleed in little Tru Thoughts logo-shaped droplets, such is the bond between the artist and label. The latest Quantic long-player for the South Coast label, A New Constellation, finds the Bogota-based musician leading a hand-picked selection of musicians called The Western Transient. Their focus? To realise a set of new compositions paying homage to the rich, lively and intimate quality of the classic soul and jazz recordings. That Holland should choose to follow his last LP, the explosive Magnetica, with 10 tracks of more traditional jazz and funk proves he's still not happy to stand still as Quantic despite having a hand in well over ten long players.

Review: Will "Quantic" Holland has enjoyed a long love affair with the music of Colombia, establishing various live acts that pay tribute to the steamy, sweat-soaked sounds of the South American nation. His latest project sees him join forces with singer/songwriter India Gongora to deliver a set inspired by the "Pacific music" variant of Colombian dance culture. The result is a set of songs that sound distinctively Colombian, with tropical guitars, indigenous instrumentation and Gongora's wonderfully laidback vocals being joined by rhythms, bassline and electronics that bring a traditional style bang up to date. The double vinyl set also includes a few forays into more Caribbean territory, including the brilliant "Dub Del Pacifico (Version)".

Review: Following the success of their first collaborative album, 2017's Curao, Will 'Quantic' Holland and Colombian "folkloric" singer-songwriter India Gongora have once more joined forces for a second joint full-length. Designed as a musical exploration of "the nostalgia of impossible love", the set's uniquely eclectic, widescreen sound joins the dots between the traditional styles of Colombia's pacific coast, cumbia, rock, string-drenched South American ballads and the kind of hard-to-pigeonhole, musically intricate productions that were once the preserve of Rotary Connection's Charles Stepney. It's a terrific album all told, with Holland conjuring up genuine musical magic and Gongora delivering some of the most stunning sounding vocals of her career.