Bus - Morebusinesslinkyouthere

Morebusinesslinkyouthere is the debut album from Flying Rhino alumni Gus Till, who has, up until now, never released an entire album of trance all on his own. Alongside his wife Cozi as Zen Lemonade he released Lemon Soul in 2002 on the classic label Dragonfly, but aside from that it’s all been ambient releases. The solo project Bus is not new however; he has releases going back to 1998. An album was announced long ago, but it took until now to finally see the light of day. As the liner notes state, “it may be noticed that this album is somewhat belated” – no kidding! This album is something like seven years in the making, and the time and dedication invested into its creation is abundantly clear. These songs were written and recorded in the U.K., Japan, and Bali, showing a true global flavour. It is released on the newly founded Sub label, a division of Psy-Harmonics out of Australia, which is at least partially operated by the brother of Gus, Andrew Till. The album art is cheeky but it works. Let’s dig in…

Disco Suns immediately captured my interest with an uncommon approach to easygoing progressive trance. There is a lot of heart and soul put into this thoughtful opener! Big atmospheres, sad yet stunning guitar chords, and a highly distinct wistful lead are the main features of this beachside groover. The listening experience is blissful for the duration, as Gus Till adeptly conjures a mystic trance vibe that is simply awe-inspiring. Beautiful!

Take a Walk With Me shows a more traditional side of the Bus sound, dealing in gooey liquid synthwork, thick resonant rhythms and a highly processed and manipulated breakbeat loop. There is a prophetic quality to the message here, with samples speaking of “a whole new way of living.” The clattering core of tricky filter work blends with the polished steady state groove for a nice finish.

Outta Their Loco Vulcan Heads begins to explore Gus Till’s techtrance style, which is sure to please fans of late period Flying Rhino. Two minutes of alarming sounds in the introduction segue into the throbbing mechanical maelstrom of this grim robotic creation. It takes a while to build beyond a rolling bass line and rusty percussion, but this only increases the menacing power of the final conclusion, awash in haunting atmospheric sounds from the barren wasteland. A solid piece of psychedelic techno.

Plastico continues the techtrance exposition, albeit with a curious twist. The beat has more bounce to it, and the percussion is lighter and more intricate. What provides distinction to this is the very peculiar sample manipulation that goes on in certain moments. It’s completely indescribable, but adds loads of charm to the stodgy monotonous rhythm. I find this to be similar to the slightly odd yet minimal productions of Loopus in Fabula. It gets to be rather dull in the end though.

Bambi and Thumper immediately gets the album back on track with an anthemic summer hit oozing with pomp and splendour. Friendly guitar plucking evokes a cheerful mood over the lightly pumping beat, making this perfect for a summertime stomp. Orchestral flourishes grow with time, leading through playful sequences that develop in amazing ways. The short mid-point break is a lot of fun, featuring a wry jazzy explosion right out of a detective thriller. Hazy female vocals are heard here and there, lending this one a sensuous touch. The finale lacks the flash and sizzle of the initial build, but this deficiency does little to spoil the charm of this cheeky tale. Overall, it’s a remarkable fusion of sunny vibes and cinematic atmospheres.

Bus L’Ouverture is subtitled Gus Till conducts the Concrete Orchestra, so you can imagine what the theme is here. It’s no secret I have something of a soft spot for well-executed orchestral fusions, whether it be in the Infected Mushroom vein or more like Jaïa’s Orchestra 2.0, which this is. The pacing and tension are often restrained, frequently resorting to long drifting passages with a persistant symphonic sound cycling in the background. After the variance of the early moments the song settles down into a subtle progressive journey, reaching a delicate climax that can easily go unheard. My impression is that this song could have done with another three or four minutes of airtime, as the concepts ultimately seem a little underdeveloped… but maybe it’s not intended to be a track with a bang at the end, and that’s all right too.

Return of the Fist is loaded with alien sound effects, a crazy quivering beat, and hilarious kung-fu samples. The whole song is delirious with swampy sound effects and maddening little noises. After the half-way point a scratchy lead begins to provide a small measure of order to this chaotic jumble of elements. This is a solid piece of work, impressively full of activity, and as diverse and distinct as the best of this great album.

Attitude Jets is the late stunner of the album, returning to the heavy realms of psychedelic techtrance. From the title I infer that the distinct sample used in the intro is that of a jet firing up, but it sure sounds like a helicopter to my ears! Plastikman made use of a similar effect over a decade ago. The track features one of the deepest hitting bass drums I’ve heard in a while, complimented by a menacing array of mechanistic percussion. A creepy high-pitched noise flares up in some segments to scratch at the upper layer of the subconscious. Gus Till knows how to build atmosphere with these unsettling elements! It doesn’t seem to have hit the mark with many reviewers, but I think this is one of the best techtrance tunes I’ve heard in a long time. The only regret I have is that the outro is very tricky to mix.

The final song is the Bus remix to Slinky Wizard’s Depth Charger, an as-yet unreleased track from George Barker. At close to 12 minutes in length, it’s quite the epic. It builds tension with a dry shuffling groove for the first five minutes, then it breaks into something much more spacious, with hints of 12 Moons’ Northern Star in the background. A thoughtful quote from an interview with Robert McNamara in the documentary The Fog of War is used throughout the track: “We must try to put ourselves inside their skin and look at us through their eyes, just to understand the thoughts that lie behind their decisions and their actions.” In the beginning, this song is a little dull, but it gradually grows to possess an ethereal quality which makes this perfectly suited to close the album.

Morebusinesslinkyouthere has it all. From sad and mournful to grim and foreboding; from bright and cheerful to wry and funky – this album truly has it all. Every track has a distinct feel to it, and they are ordered in such a way to provide an interesting journey without conforming to a traditional story arc. Did we expect anything less? I think not.

Unlike many veteran artists, Gus Till has not fallen prey to trends and current fashions in trance; this could have been released any time in the last few years. There is no shortage of experimentation and risk-taking on this album. A few of these tunes differ from standard trance structuring by peaking early and drifting through the last moments, almost as if they were built backwards. On several tunes, the artist explores the decaying ruins of techtrance for musical inspiration, which is only sensible considering his understated role in the formation of the original minimal and progressive movements. This is not an album to be missed by any long-time listener, although it will understandably confuse some newcomers. Anyone seeking full-on sounds are going to be out of luck, for example. Beyond that – anyone with an interest in progressive techniques and deeper methodologies needs to hear this long-awaited gem.

Purchase Options

Saikosounds // Physical mail order shop based in Hong Kong.
Wirikuta // Physical mail order shop based in Austria.

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