A TRIBE CALLED RED play the Opera House June 21. See listing. Rating: NNNN
When we last talked to Ottawa dance music collective A Tribe Called Red, they mentioned they were working on a collaborative project but kept the details under wraps. Turns out they’d teamed up with aboriginal co-op label Tribal Spirit Music, which helped bring the trio of electronic artists together with a wide range of more traditional First Nations musicians for Nation II Nation, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed self-titled 2012 debut.
Presumably because of this greater access to vocals and acoustic drums, the more synthetic elements of their sound are less prominent, although the beats are just as pumping. Those contemporary references have shifted a bit, though: the dubstep and electro elements have migrated toward moombahton, trap and house sounds. More importantly, this approach no longer feels like a fusion experiment, but has developed a very distinct identity and feel.
Top track: Bread & Cheese (feat. Black Bear)
