Up, Bustle & Out
One Colour Just Reflects Another

The sound of Up Bustle & Out is the sound of the world, a fascinating musical-cultural journey through ethnicities and traditions through funk, jazz, hip hop, and electronic music in pure Ninja Tune style, a label which they have represented as one of the most solid realities for years. "One Colour Just Reflects Another" (1996) is their second album, the most successful of the many they have released. At the height of the trip-hop boom, the duo, who make their living precisely in Bristol, seem to prefer color and exoticism over the fog that Portishead & co were spreading.

The sound of this work is the same that would become their trademark, rich in nuances, surrounded by numerous instruments, both ethnic and non-ethnic. The right balance between the advanced means of digital music and the pure instrumental tradition. Each track stands out for meticulous arrangements and the attention to the sound environment in each of its sections, characteristics that bring the duo closer to a big orchestra than to the classic electronic act. Many musicians regularly collaborate on UBO's records, giving a real and clear sound, far from the classic quantization that characterizes much of electronic music. The same goes for the voices, sourced from all over the world, which instead contribute to the project's multiracial and colorful sound. From Mexico City to Cuba, from Lima to New Delhi, the territories explored by Clandestine Ein and Rupert Mould are always numerous and enchanting!

The album is varied musically as well. Despite some jazzy/fusion forays ("At Poncho Café", with a nice Dj Shadow-like beat, "An Unmarked Grave", very John Hassell, "The Hand Of Contraband"), the prevailing sides are the funk and dub/hip hop ones, always adhering to a solid downtempo base. Fat beats and penetrating bass lines ("Ninja's Principality", "Bicycles, Flutes and You"), wah and Hammond organ from a jammy funk ("Running Rude"), blaring brass, and soulful sounds ("Mr. Pavement Man", "¡Aquí No Má!", "Penny Apples") are the cornerstones of the English duo's musical philosophy.

Percussions are massively present (of various types, conga, timbales, tabla), main elements of highly successful episodes like the old-school Afro of "An African Friendship", the swinging rumba of "1, 2, 3 Alto Y Fuera", and the contemplative tam-tam of "Discoursing Drums". There are also moments of pure goofing around like the bizarre "3 Drunk Musicians At", a sort of Mexican saloon delirium. No track below average, the album, despite being about 80 minutes long, flows smoothly like oil.

A refined band with excellent insights and a taste for the exotic. Less technical than other Ninja Tune names, but undoubtedly a good listen, especially for those not particularly inclined to the genre. By the way, keep an eye on the brand new "Soliloquy": this time, they venture into oriental landscapes, excellent, but perhaps there will be an opportunity to talk about it later. The journey continues!