Demo Den

GECHO: Demon EP - Having taken advantage of the Government's New Deal scheme, and having had this EP played on Steve Lamacq's Evening Session, Gecho could well be going places.

Recorded at Little Lizard Studio, Colne, their second demo has the feel of a band growing in confidence.

The four-piece's fusion of sounds and styles that really shouldn't work, yet somehow do, makes for a crossover act capable of reaching fans in both dance and indie circles alike. The first of three tracks is Devil In Me, where computer man Tim Burwell's scratching provides an ideal introduction to the smooth vocals of Ailsa Nicholson (pictured). The groove of this mid-tempo song has a summertime feel, which could go down a storm at festivals.

My favourite is Turn The Tables, which keeps the warm theme of the EP rolling. This flowing track is brilliantly crafted and the rich melody is a composition which Morcheeba would be proud of. Lyrically, Nicholson is at her best here as she unfurls the story of a remorseful, hot-headed character with a temper. Closing the trilogy is If U Wanna, a more up-tempo dance number.

Despite their enthusiastic approach to making the big time, Gecho seem unwilling to sell out on the music they love or play the music industry's game. They pull off a neat balancing act between the underground fringe and mainstream scenes, keeping both their credibility and integrity intact.

CLIVE LAWRENCE

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.