Tom(Ftmlss) & Scott(Catch92) are no strangers to the scene and after their release of the new album “Taijitu”, which is part of the Zodiac Series hosted by Aviary Bridge Records I wanted to get to know a bit more about them and about their work.
Tom and Scott grew up close to each other in the middle of England, and are now a 40 minute drive away from each other. Scott in the sunny side of Crewe, and Tom in Stockport, just a bit below Manchester. They have been good friends for quite some time already, and as Tom said: “We get a chill on regularly, we make beats regularly, we get smashed regularly, and have good time in life regularly”.
The album is a compilation of tracks they made together in the last year and a half or so. Most of it was made at Scotts place, because he had a cellar to chill in and make music. Scott has moved to a different place now, but some fun memories came up.
Scott: “In my old house there was a cellar, and it was perfect for a studio. It was allright for the first month or so, but after breathing down there, and living down there, it grew so moldy and damp and it was disgusting. It was horrible. Still chilled in there though.”
They did a couple of bits online, but mostly sat together to finish up the project.
Scott told me that “Taijitu” represents the symbolism between Ying and Yang, and that balance is an important takeaway from the album. “After taking a step back and looking back over the last year or so, balance is something that resonates with me quite a bit. Balance in creativity, don’t push yourself too much, sometimes take a step back. But also balance with work and life.”
The album has purposely been made into a quite separate A and B side. With the first side being a bit more widely appreciated music, and the second side being more experimental. The album truly shows the wide variety of sounds and vibe’s that Fthmlss and Catch92 can bring.
How Tom described the feeling of the album: “A direct reflection of life. It has it’s calm moments, it has it’s beautiful, weird and wonderful moments, but at the same time hectic and unexpected moments. To put all these emotions in to one project, that’s just life.”
It’s clear to me that this album is a true masterpiece by two talented artists who are very in tune with each other. Both of their signature sounds shine through in this album. With Fthmlss adding a lot of vocal chops and melodic elements, and Catch92 bringing his groove and tribal vibes. It’s really one of the more coherent products of them working together.