When told to expect only the unexpected, the average listener will leap to a conclusion that, actually, what\’s about to unfold within their ears is merely a trite retelling of something heard before. As such, surprises in contemporary music are at a premium – while technological innovation expands the musician\’s palette, frequently inspiration is left lagging. This is not true of London\’s Three Trapped Tigers, however. This is a band whose embracing of the experimental has guided them to a debut album rich in blindsiding blows built from a set of blueprints entirely theirs alone.
It wasn\’t always so – every band needs a firm footing from which to develop their sound, and Three Trapped Tigers\’ original modus operandi of taking Warp catalogue-style electronica and translating it into a live, drums-and-guitars-and-keys set-up was theirs. A trio of EPs – tracks numbered, sequentially, from 1 to 12 – allowed them to gradually grow in confidence, within the skin they\’d assigned for themselves initially, and later into brave new forms. Jazz, rock, electro, dance, metal – elements of conventional genres could be heard in their music\’s DNA; but as time passed, it became apparent that Three Trapped Tigers weren\’t about pigeonholes. There was no check-list of traits to cram into a four-minute composition. So, freedom took hold and the ultimate result is Route One or Die, a collection of inspirational instrumentals with no tick-boxes in mind. The music finds its own way.
And it does so from simple beginnings – the majority of Route One or Die\’s numbers started life as melodies played out on Tom\’s piano. Then these skeletal pieces were introduced to Matt and Adam, who added their elements. While this might seem like a compartmentalised process, the intent is always to be able to take the pieces into the live arena. As such, tracks have a focus and ferocity more commonly associated with acts whose material comes together in a practise space. And anyone who has seen the band in the flesh to date can certainly testify to their remarkable power as a live act. Adam\’s drumming – incessant, covering every square inch of his kit, arms like pistons – provides each piece\’s solid but snaking backbone; around him, Tom\’s keyboards – sci-fi skronk and celestial chimes – and Matts nimble, precise and punchy guitar work paint the kind of pictures that a thousand words just wouldnt do justice. That they can generate just as much energy in the studio – evident throughout Route One or Die – as they do on stage is the mark of a truly remarkable act.
A remarkable act with incredible ability, a studied edge that sets them aside from any peers you might want to (probably wrongly) peg them beside (please, this is unquestionably not post-rock). Best of all, their exploration of new textures and insatiable ambition to go further never gets in the way of the desire to rock out \’til all are a mess of sweaty grins and clenched fists. And that, perhaps, is what\’s most brilliantly unexpected about Route One or Die: you might well start the album thinking it\’s fare for weirdo-beardo types with catalogue numbers ingrained on the brain, but you\’ll come away moved, touched by a record with a great human heart at its core. Sure, it fizzes and crackles, pulses and groans, robotics churning – but underneath its sharp, steely exterior there\’s a rawness and passion that can\’t be denied, let alone defined by categorical customs.

\”Twinkles and booms like a star being born, this feels like being hugged by a computerized god. This\’ll make fans of Lightning Bolt, Battles and Aphex Twin cream themselves.\” NME

\”Music without fear, and such audacity should only ever be celebrated\” BBC

\”This loud and twisted trio are the safest bets to take death-improv to the masses\” Time Out