1200 Techniques new EP Time Has Come won’t drop until the New Year, so I was thrilled to enjoy a preview stream this month. I remember being so excited by this act in the 90s. I hadn’t warmed to a lot of hip hop acts, but I found the way that they combined rapping with funk and soul so accessible.
A lot has changed since then. Hip hop has well and truly been embraced by the mainstream. I wondered whether 1200 Techniques could still feel as unique in the modern musical landscape. Time Has Come gave me the answers I was looking for.
The title track and single is the ideal opener, a great reflection on the 1200 Techniques journey. It is an excellent introduction to the band for new listeners and a catch-up for the rest of us. “Undress My Soul” is so sexy cool, and “Speed of Light” should pack the dance floors. By the time I got to the closing number, “Move On,” I was enjoying myself so much I didn’t mind hearing the standard version and the DJ Peril remix. The song’s a lovely bookend to “Time Has Come,” a track which looks forward and welcomes the next chapter of the 1200 Techniques story.
Time to work on solo projects and other endeavours has undoubtedly been good for 1200 Techniques. They seem to have a new creativity and energy that should delight long-time fans and help them find a brand new audience.
1200 Techniques’ Time Has Come EP hits stores on 23 January 2015.
Image used with permission from Paris is Patient