Triorität are a trio, believe it or not, who have sought to synthesize their talents on the back of a broad base of influences. Their sound, which builds light components into something full-bodied and rich, pulls from 70s fusion and disco, as well as modern house and hip hop developments. However, were it not for the use of stabby snyths, beguiling drum riffs and pulsating bass pathways, the band might slide into easy-listening territories at times. Indeed, their groove is undeniably smooth – as evidenced by the way our heads bob gently upon listening – but it remains too thoughtful and too intricate to ever be considered background music.
With cousins Gerrit Ebeling and Alexander Hoffmann on keys and drums respectively and Grégoire Pignède on bass, they use friendship as their starting point, the former two having met the latter while he drank bad gin from a plastic bottle at a party. In this sense, it’s clear that Triorität formed through mutual appreciation and natural conversation, rather than via the flinging together of young virtuosos by a label or a conservatoire.
This mood of playfulness and familiarity is echoed in the music. The opener, “Josef der Kamal” (a nod to the probable influence of London-based Yussef Kamaal?), feels its way into a tight rhythm, with plucky bass prods infiltrating the snyth swells. Hoffman’s drumming pulls it all on course before long, as it does on “Ammoniak,” a laid-back meandering centerpiece to the EP. We close out with seven-minutes of delightful speculation, as all three duck in and out of the groove they’ve created, each adding their own touch to the dialogue’s unpredictable forward motion.
Triorität – Skorphut (Lemonade, Oye Records)
