Treologic’s new CD is Colabo and it’s a bit of a change for them. The disc comes out on the 21st and as Treologic keyboardist Lance Loiselle says is has a harder sound and more traditional hip hop production than their three previous releases. It’s also an album that should please fans of the genre while possibly bringing new listeners into the fold.

The Chicago based group is starting to generate quite a buzz nationally with attention coming in from media and radio all over the country. While they are technically not a Rockford area group, Chicago is still in the Northern Illinois area and they play here frequently – meaning they have a strong Rockford connection.

While their previous discs had more jazz in the mix, this one doesn’t abandon it altogether. In fact there are quite a few songs (“Colabo,” “Harlem Nights feat. Tanya Reed” and “Relax Your Mind” are several examples) still have healthy dosages of jazz in the mix.

If you have a problem with hip hop because there are no real musicians in the genre – I’ve heard that complaint many times – have no fear these guys have real instruments and the effect is a sound that’s above and beyond a lot of what you hear out there. They also include several prominent members of the Chicago hip hop scene as guests on the CD. One thing that should be mentioned, like a lot of hip hop if you have a problem with “foul” language, you will probably want to steer clear of this disc. If you have kids you’ll probably want to listen without them first to decide what tracks are OK to play around them.

No matter how you feel about hip hop this is a very strong CD. I know, it’s technically not part of the Rockford scene, but still you have to have respect for these guys. They have put together a great album. With bigger things on the horizon for them let’s hope they don’t forget about the Rockford area when they are touring all over the place.