DESCRIPTION:
Narcotic fields - Sol
album: Erase (2009)

groupe de trip hop d'origine Tchèque
Narcotic Fields are a group that make trip-hop with a touch of rock (or rock with a smattering of trip-hop, depending on what side of bed you got out of in the morning). I've always been slightly wary of labelling anything as trip-hop, not least because some of my favourite 'trip-hop' groups (Portishead and Massive Attack to name but two), vehemently reject the tag. However, I soundtracked much of my life with these originators of the 'Bristol sound' as well as other legendary groups like Sneaker Pimps, Morcheeba, Groove Armada, The Supreme Beings of Leisure and many, many more. So, when I noticed a 'trip-hop' group among the swathes and swathes of generic pop-rock in the Czech Republic, I was determined to find out more. I was more than impressed by what I discovered.

Initially founded by Tomáš Bayer and Tereza Kopecká in 2007, the group eventually grew to include six members and gigged extensively, including an appearance at Colours of Ostrava in 2008. After less than a year together, they entered and won a prestigious Czech music contest called the Boom Cup (which, I have to admit, I had never heard of, but will be watching carefully from now on!) before releasing their debut album 'Erase' in March 2009.

The Olomouc group combines hypnotic beats, eery atmospherics and somewhat ghostly female vocals with uplifting, guitar-heavy choruses, effortlessly gliding from moments of calm to bursts of pure energy. The album is well worth listening to in its entirety as each track brings something different. However, with a gun to my head (although that's more to do with the mountain of washing up in the sink), here are the three that I like the most.