Band on the Wall's latest 7" vinyl release is a musician, producer and DJ whose artistic ear reaches far beyond his Manchester locale to Africa, Latin America and beyond. As Contours, Tom Burford applies his own percussive dexterity to place himself somewhere within the intersection of House, Jazz, Broken-Beat and percussive experimentation.
Double A-side The Programme / Conga Quinto (Dub) offer a tantalising glimpse of what Burford's long-time followers know already – that he's an artist capable of blending the electronic and organic, live and programmed into a sound that frequently re-invents and surprises without losing any sense of the artist at the heart of it.
The Programme is a woozy mix of sunset synths, squelchy bass and crisply propulsive hi-hat and snare-led rhythms. There's a depth of sound that you can just sink into and yet the skittering beats add levity and a club-leaning energy to the track.
It's the latest in an ongoing sonic evolution for Contours, having released music on labels including Rhythm Section, Tru-Thoughts, Anma Records, Shall Not Fade, Fly High Society and many more, in turn receiving praise from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Alex Nut, Bradley Zero and others.