Pablo Bolivar, Kenneth Graham - Trust

Single

25 Jun

After the release of the Ten Years of Seven Villas (Part I) (2023) compilation on Pablo Bolivar's sensational Seven Villas imprint last year, the boss is back, this time joined by Kenneth Graham for a saucy little single to keep fans going until Ten Years of Seven Villas part 2 comes out. Now, you shouldn't think that this is just supplementary, as Trust (2024) is one of the best dub techno records in recent times, and really, that should be no surprise. Both Kenneth Graham and Pablo Bolivar have careers spanning decades at the highest level, with the former being a defining act released on a slew of highly regarded record labels, including Peace Frog, Ovem Recordings, and Immigrant, just to name a few. On the other hand, Pablo has been instrumental in Spain's techno scene, founding AvantRoots and, of course, Seven Villas.

As Pablo and Kenneth are known to do, fanciful swirling elements surround a funky progressive foundational groove. The bass is where the track's real drive comes from. It snakes past the kicks with such elegance, subtly shifting frequency with a gentle purr. Delicate arpeggios and delayed chord layers hang in the background while rich, saturated, synthesised strings float left and right. The game's name is gentle movement. Bubbling echoes like distant wind chimes add more complexity. The duo managed to cram in so much atmosphere as they filled the track with luscious reverbs and cavernous delays, allowing them to ring and drone.

'Trust - House Version' comes out the gates much quicker, upping the ante with deliciously in-your-face percussion. Initially, everything sounds the same, but the duo adds more punch. The effects are pushed further into the background, allowing the punch to shift the energy skyward. The 'House Version' is made for the dance floor, as evidenced by the more robust kicks, the hi-hats slapping much harder, and percussion has a bit more pop. What started as a relaxing yet danceable track evolves into a dubby peak-time floor-filler. Trust is anything but supplementary for any Kenneth Graham or Pablo Bolivar fans and will whet the appetites of anyone waiting for Ten Years of Seven Villas (Part II).

Tracklist: