It is becoming increasingly apparent that, subsequent to their more unusual releases of late, Toytronic are attempting to revert to their classic in-house sound. Recent releases such as the Everything Is Green compilation and Ochre’s A Midsummer Nice Dream have all featured the trademark analogue bleeps, squelches and glitches that we have come to associate with the label, and given that Toytronic excels in this field; perhaps this is for the best.
Sound Sensor is another unmistakably Toytronic record, probably the most instantly accessible the label has released for some considerable time, and as such has an immediately built-in audience of Toytronic fans and collectors. Fortunately, as could easily become the case, this fan-base (that frequently manifests itself in frenzied Ebay bidding wars for rare back catalogue titles) hasn’t clouded the judgment of the label or curtailed the creativity of the contributing artists, and though the overall style of Sound Sensor is in a similar vein to many of its predecessors it’s worth bearing in mind that this is only the 20th release on the Toytronic label since it burst onto the scene with Gimmik’s debut EP in way back in 1997, and many of those were singles or EPs (and one of which was a t-shirt). Interestingly, there are such marked differences in tone and style across the six tracks that make up Sound Sensor that it sounds rather like another Toytronic compilation.
“Acoustic Snails” hooks immediately as a warm breeze carries whispers and sighs through rapid, tabla-laden drum-patterns that occasionally rush to the foreground charged with static. “Ghost” immediately slows the pace and brings to mind the more recent work by Multiplex with its clunking rhythms, astral synth-pads and hypnotic, spiraling looped melodies. In fact it slows things down a little too much: it never really goes anywhere until its conclusion is in sight and the beats begin to fall away to reveal the whirling ambient spaces beneath. Meanwhile, “In-Motion” describes a glittering, dust-strewn arc through space with a sound-palette that’s strongly reminiscent of The Orb’s “Back Side Of The Moon,” “Plrkel” is a loping, deep bass number boasting more skilful production highlighted in particular by the clean, propelling bass-line that can be felt as much as heard, and “Jaw Break” is a darker, bolder number with dramatic beats, skewed computer bleeps and glitches all built upon a slightly sinister melody that is strongly reminiscent of Num Num’s contributions to the label.
“Fade,” one of this release’s highlights, is both strongly reminiscent of and easily on a par with the best of Plaid’s work and would, in this reviewer’s opinion, have been better placed as the final track on Sound Sensor. Its supple, voluptuous bass and loungy melody are shot through the track until, close to its conclusion, these initial motifs are replaced by an almost jaunty and insanely memorable melody that finally dissolves in soft, lingering pads drenched in a hazy sunset.
None of the above is meant to imply that Sound Sensor is in any way derivative, merely that Infinite Scale has produced an extremely stylish record that delivers exactly what you would expect from Toytronic, and as such comes highly recommended.
Sound Sensor is out now on Toytronic records on CD and LP, 150 copies of which are available on toffee colored vinyl.
