Here's my recent contribution to Stylus' electronic music column. Yes, I normally write about stuff that I'm really feeling, but it just seems to me that some producers are phoning it in all too often lately and need to be called on it. My case in point:

Toby Tobias
A Close Shave
REKIDS / REKIDS 003
June 2006

Toby Tobias’ debut on Radio Slave’s Rekids label strikes me as being excessively stiff, but not in the deliberate, Kraftwerk-ian sense. It starts off with a rigid, mechanical percussion loop and adds layers of synth arpeggios that are stacked in a linear, building block fashion that comes across a bit too rudimentary. Opt for the remix on the flip, where Prins Thomas strips away the clutter, blurs and softens the tones, all the while brushing the track with his organic, space-disco vibe. It's not his finest remix, but one certainly worthy of merit and a considerable improvement over the original.

Listen to the track and tell me if you agree:

Toby Tobias- A close shave