Dusted Reviews Artist: The Tuss Album: Rushup Edge Label: Rephlex Review date: Aug. 13, 2007

The dilettante detective agency has pronounced that this is the work of one Richard D. James. It is easy to hear why they’d think that. Beneath the surface of these six slices of mutant disco and spooked-up funk dwells a malevolent presence that can often be found in much of the Aphex Twin’s finest moments. Like Evil Dead II’s creature in the cellar, something here is doing damn near everything to break out, trying to poke its ugly head into The Tuss’s end of the pier show spectacular, which pulsates with sub-atomic neon bubbles of sound and light. Everywhere there are traces of disembodied croaks and groans, seemingly cast adrift from their un-living source, while melancholic chords get warped and wrapped around scattershot techno beats.

With its booty-jigging, dry-hump squelch, “Shiz Ko E” could almost be a Prince cut from a time when his albums weren’t being slapped onto the front of British right-wing dailies. “Death Fuck” lives up to its potential billing - a pulverising blast of braindance with a sad piano refrain; a demonic voice makes its way to the front of the stage as the mania slowly builds. “Goodbye Rute” brings the curtain down with something sweeter, a cherubic chunk of glacial atmospherics and delicate percussive accompaniment that bring to mind, just for instance, Aphex Twin’s series of Selected Ambient Works.

So, is Rushup Edge the latest installment from the fevered mind of Richard D. James? Highly probable. But it would be a shame if this captivating little disc, and any that follow it, become overshadowed by rumors pertaining to who or who isn’t behind their creation. Surely it is better to be thankful that someone, anyone, is still producing stuff as wonderfully imaginative as this.

By Spencer Grady

Read More View all articles by Spencer Grady Find out more about Rephlex