Thin Blue Collective: The Mystifying Trio Bringing Psychedelic Modern Jazz To The Streets of London
Updated: Nov 2, 2021
Over the last couple of years, the desire for music that takes over the soul and opens your eyes to a brand new world has grown beyond belief. The Thin Blue Collective have perfected their delicious blend of modern jazz, neo-soul, hip-hop and house that crawls through your spine and satisfies the itch inside of your brain.
The anonymous trio has roots in France, Ghana and Jamaica, reflected in their musical influences. Based in London and Brighton, the guys met whilst studying at the University of Warwick. However, only after graduation did the three guys come together in London and start making music together. Thin Blue Collective, also known as Thin Bleu, have an experimental approach to music using their cultural experiences to form their art. Their groovy bass lines are reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and an incredibly soft-spoken rap flow, easily mistaken for poetry.
Their first ever single, “Suite Two”, was released just before the first lockdown. The romantically sexy record has a smooth tone paired with warm synths, similar to Khalid’s “Better” but with mellower vocals. The production work positions the track as a solid choice for an indie rom-com. Picture this: friends talking about everything apart from their secret feelings for each other, watching the sunrise. The song has reached nearly 200k streams on Spotify and is their best single so far.
Other noteworthy tracks include OG LaLa featuring Jay Phelps and CCTÇ. The latter is an acronym for the french phrase: C'est Toujours Comme Ça. It translates to: it’s always like this. The lyrics touch on police corruption and the lack of faith in the next generation over a jazzy, bouncy beat. Like, a summer evening stroll with a whisky on the rocks in hand. Their most recent single, Tha Joint (second movement), is a hazy, but self-explanatory track. One could hear this beat blasting through speakers in Hyde Park in April. Their sound engineer, Pierre Chabin, has worked with the group on creating their distinct sound that will shake up the UK music scene.
What makes the trio so mysterious is how they conceal their identities, even in the age of selfies and shameless self-promo. The group shots strangely feature the members with their faces covered. Even more puzzling, if you take a scroll through their Instagram, you’ll see partial pieces that even when put together, would never make a complete image. An arm here, a foot-tapping to the beat, fingers strumming a guitar - surprisingly more intimate. It makes us want more and we want it now.
Thin Blue Collective made its festival debut this past summer, performing at the 42Degrees Festival in the Lake District. Despite being a group for less than two years, they have also performed at two iconic London gig venues. In September, they supported Still Pigeon at The George Tavern and played a showcase at The Fiddler.
Thin Blue Collective will have their big break in 2022 as they recently signed a deal with the label Soul Treasure in Japan. They will be releasing their upcoming EP, Room 13, early next year. If it is anything like their current music, we can expect psychedelic bass lines and buttery vocals. With the trio’s musical talents ranging from producing, playing the guitar, bass and keys, singing and rapping - the group will make an impression on the charts.
https://www.thinbluecollective.com/about
Instagram: @thinbleu
