The Collapse of Modern Culture

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Look at this lps artwork and you'd be forgiven for thinking Mo-Wax had spent all their money on the UNKLE project. A simple design with black ink printed on flimsy unlaminated yellow card. Well, you shouldn't judge anything by its cover and this album is certainly no exception. Urban Tribe is the Detroit based project of Sherard Ingram in which he employs the skills of fellow motor city dwellers Anthony Shakir, Kenny Dixon jnr and Carl Craig. Their previous twelves on Lavelles label were a solid insight into what is a luscious album of meticulous construction and one that strongly harks back to the technology obsessed early Detroit techno sound. With the exception, maybe, of the Dixon written 'd2000' all the tracks drift in a cosmic like space resting on dub undertones but with the sparkle of synth washes and sample loops filtering through. All propped up with beautiful soft breaks and not a hi-hat, snare or base drum forced, perhaps the production influence of Craig. The writing, mixing and performing credits fluctuate from track to track, the four musicians swapping duties as they please, yet Ingram always seems to be lurking, keeping it tight, and holding together these creative forces.By the time you reach the end, the truly sublime 'peacemakers', you'll have learnt the Urban Tribe is not here to start a fight, their motives are more offworld......electronica for the 21st century.