Suite were kind enough to offer me a promo of their debut album back in November. I must admit, I do get sent a number of promos every month that vary in quality from ‘alright’ to ‘i will leave some polite feedback’.
They say never to judge a book by its cover, but I was immediately fascinated by the presentation standard that they have achieved, for something that was intended as a debut promo. The CD is heat printed, there is a small fold out artwork booklet and its all enclosed within a fantastic glossy digipak. Such precision is very impressive.
So, the enclosing letter promised a ‘left of the dance floor material’ and ‘the first record you reach for after returning from a nights clubbing’. In my own words, I would describe it as ‘minimal industrial tech’. But hey, whats the point in putting things in boxes nowadays? It is definitely back room lounge material.
‘Childmind’ has a progressive sound with a moody edge, and the vocal is worked in well to add a great texture to the track. ‘Buy Buy’ is a pleasant suprise – a short uplifting piece with soft ambient tones, leading into a retro synth and building into a live drum crescendo. I also recommend ‘Op.1 No.5’ with its deep bass and electro stabs.
I really enjoyed listening to Opus 1, and the quality of mastering is the ‘cherry on the top’. I can really feel the depth of sounds – and the bass rumbles have a cinematic sonic quality to them. The value of the cover is matched by the quality of material they have produced.
Rating (out of 5) : 5
Suite are the Nottingham based production duo Gavin Kirtley and Tim Laverack. The tracks mentioned in this review are now on rotation on the dirtyradio playlist.
