Tussle

Tussle fuse elements of dub, Krautrock, minimal techno, electro, and post-punk into a unified, groove-oriented sound that erodes distinctions between rock and dance music. Originating in San Francisco’s Mission district, the group’s initial roster featured drummer and melodica player Alexis Georgopoulos alongside bassist Andy Cabic, keyboardist and programmer Nathan Burazer, and percussionist Jonathan Holland, whose setup incorporated bells, a custom drum kit, and assorted found objects such as metal scraps and a plastic bucket. After forming in 2001, the quartet quickly began capturing their spontaneous instrumental dance-rock in spaces ranging from Mo Wax’s Tommy Guerrero recording facility to their own basement, while also building a reputation through performances in lofts, galleries, and conventional stages.

Their first appearance came in 2002 via a contribution to Deitch Projects’ Frisco Styles compilation, after which they joined the Troubleman Unlimited roster. Early releases on that imprint included the summer 2002 EP Eye Contact, whose cover art was supplied by Whitney Biennial participant Chris Johanson, and 2004’s Don’t Stop, which carried reinterpretations by the Soft Pink Truth (Matmos’ Drew Daniel) and Death Comet Crew’s Stuart Argabright. The 2006 full-length Kling Klang broadened the palette explored on those EPs, whereas Telescope Mind, the band’s initial outing for Smalltown Supersound, steered more explicitly toward Krautrock territory. The 2007 Warning EP arrived with reworkings by Hot Chip and Optimo; the same year the group supplied a track to Scottish artist David Shrigley’s Worried Noodles collection.

Bassist Tomo Yasuda joined for the 2008 album Cream Cuts, which also included a guest appearance by Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor. In 2009 Tussle contributed the track “Soft Crush” to Tradi-Mods vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics; its stripped-down, less studio-dependent character shaped the approach heard on the 2012 release Tempest. That record marked the debut of drummer Kevin Woodruff and incorporated contributions from Optimo’s JD Twitch as well as Liquid Liquid members Dennis Young and Sal Principato.