Tres has been concocting this unique recipe for hip-house dating back to his self-titled debut EP in 2018, slowly figuring out what spices and flourishes to ultimately use for this plat du jour. It helps that the zeitgeist has finally caught up with his vision, that house is going through a bit of a revival, making Head Rush an opportune release for summer 2024. And it has everything a great summer record should have, too: engrossing syncopated beats, exciting features (Toro y Moi, Teezo Touchdown, Ravyn Lenae, and Thundercat are among the artists on the guest list), and unconventional loops and riffs that tantalize the ears.
There are times when Head Rush leans more into hip-hop convention, such as on “Black and Mild” with its spark of West Coast G-funk and a mellifluous synth that plays that horror-inducing chromatic mediant riff you find in Dr. Dre productions. It’s a big part of Tres’ ability to suck you into his world. He recontextualizes energetic house-inspired tracks within other genres, cleverly balancing the listening experience and making his pieces feel novel and transfixing.
Head Rush is an experience - it’s something to get lost in much like people do at warehouse raves at 2 a.m. And Tres channels that experience brilliantly, creating a dance album that takes the essence of an underground party and puts it into album form on a debut that’s very much worth the wait.
- Juan Gutierrez - floodmagazine.com
