Album Review: Audego Abominable Galaxy

Audego is not only the sewing together of the words 'audio' and 'Lego' but the marriage of the beats of producer Paso Bionic (Shebab Tariq) and vocals of the oddly named Big Fella (Carolyn Tariq). Abominable Galaxy is their first full-length collab together. It must be said straight up that the Audego sound is heavily influenced by the likes of Portishead, Lamb and Massive Attack circa Mezzanine, yet, having said that, the biggest mistake that could be made with Abominable Galaxy would be to put it on at your next dinner or cocktail party and expect it to float around pleasantly in the background; it's not that sort of album. The initial few tracks might suggest otherwise - smoky vocals, cold, moody, slightly off-kilter beats dripping with faux vinyl crackle and wrenching 'adult' problems. Yet the finale of Borrowed Time changes the mood without warning as an explosion of horns headlocks you and never lets go. Behind The Citadel Walls acknowledges the duo's hip hop roots with some slick DJ scratches before Burning Bridge hurtles headlong into Warp-ed rough-nut synths, bleeps and mad FX. This obnoxiousness remains for the bulk of the set; No Restraining You builds into an evil tsunami of sound while Rhapsody For The Wicked's vicious, robotic synths scythe through the darkness. Yet as Bionic's backdrops become more obtuse, Big Fella continues on her not-so-merry way, her down low, jazzy, over-wrought delivery purpose-built for the latest of late nights. Safe to say this country has produced little like Abominable Galaxy and with it Audego have managed to reinvigorate a well-worn sound.