Part of the Dundee based collective Hilltown Disco, Treb (Gary Mitchell) recently announced his inaugural EP ‘Cosmos’ through Scuffed Recordings on 26th October. The producer is certainly no stranger on the Scottish electronic scene at the moment. His track ‘Island’, released on west-coast based Blotter Recordings at the tail-end of 2016, has surpassed 50,000 views on Youtube to date which is a clear testament to Treb’s laudable ability and popularity as a producer. Combined with a host of countless performances across the country under his belt and a debut release from his own record label, Reality Club Records, back in June this year, prosperity is the word that most springs to mind to best describe Treb’s future pursuits as we approach 2019.
Featuring the tracks ‘Octopus’, ‘Parker Pen’ and the EP title track ‘Cosmos’, the record encapsulates a concoction of house and acid infused features such as heavy, indomitable percussion alongside squelching bass parts offering the listener an impressive, spacious soundscape throughout which really pays homage and coincides very well with the appropriate title for the EP, ‘Cosmos’.
The first insight into this cosmic portrait Treb delivers throughout the EP is made apparent on the first track ‘Octopus’. Opening with percussion and vocal samples, the track very quickly transcends to a mesmeric height with a plethora of acid elements such as the earlier mentioned squelching bass lines and old-school piano lines filling the soundscape to interstellar proportions. Furthermore, the track also highlights Treb’s concise production abilities with the array of different layers featured during the track combining together to create a notably well-balanced mix throughout without overpowering one another at any stage. These production abilities only further flourish as the EP continues.
‘Parker Pen’ captures a heavier scene to that of the opener with a raucous, early 90’s influenced drum rhythm intertwined with another splash of acid imbued bass lines providing the powerful pulse behind the track. The energy levels are infectious as Treb subtly draws various different percussive elements in and out of the track throughout to deliver a 6-minute burst of vigour which will undoubtedly prove popular amongst his listeners.
Finally, the stand-out track of the EP for me has to be the title track ‘Cosmos’. Listening to the EP in full, it is evident that the stand-out features of the previous two tracks culminate together seamlessly to create a conclusion to the EP which I think is the superlative representation of the theme Treb is aiming for with the record. Airy, almost hypnotic soundscapes; heavy percussion; spacey arps; acid infused bass lines. These core elements fuse together impeccably to create a cosmic scene – a scene which is vast and almost extra-terrestrial feeling - presented on a record which lays out Treb’s personal take not just on the acid/house genres, but of his observations, perceptions and discernments within these genres to cosmic extents.
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