Pinch - Reality Tunnels

This Summer the influential Bristol figurehead Rob Ellis AKA Pinch will release his first solo album in 13 years, via his own label, Tectonic. It takes both its title and concept from the idea of a ‘reality tunnel’, which was originally espoused by American author, futurist and ‘agnostic mystic’ Robert Anton Wilson.

Pinch forged a reputation as one of the original dubstep pioneers, but this new offering shows just how far he's travelled since that big bang of creativity in the mid 2000s. So while floor-friendly bass pressure remains prominent, here it acts as a springboard for outré experiments in techno, grime, dub, jungle, dubstep and other, more surprising styles. Across 10 individualistic tracks the album somehow coheres despite its roaming breadth and large-scale ambition – all of which make for an exciting, epic adventure.

Photo credit: Alex Digard