Munich-based Toobris pushes a fast-paced, funky take on late 90s Minimal Techno that’s fun and ultimately very danceable with his “Headstart” EP off Shimmer Records’ sub-label, Liquid One.
Late last year, Toobris was pushing a sparse sound dominated by the typical gritty atmospheres held strong within Techno to date. But more and more, he’s been throwing them back further in the mix, or away completely, and seemingly growing more comfortable with the negative space of old-school Minimal Techno.
The spaces between the notes really define the character within each track. Especially here, on this “Headstart” EP, that focuses on the swing within the instruments playing with timing in an exciting and elastic way that gets your whole body moving.
In a way, that’s the real hat trick here—focusing on the bass groove and lining up all the elements so they slam powerfully and rhythmically without ever going over the top. An example of this would be in “Slowly, but Unsteady,” where the bass is pointing to the other elements in a slide and almost pulling them back. More evidence is found in the rapid call-and-response of the bass vs the chirping synths in “Headstart”, as well as the slamming groove on the shuffling kick and bass in “No, I Mean It.”
Since the advent of Minimal Techno, nobody has bothered to pitch it up to make it sound as fun to dance to as this latest “Headstart” EP does. This kind of thing might make you want to take a few of your super dusty Sutekh, Todd Bodine, Dan Bell, or Plastikman records and push them up to plus 8 or on 45 at minus 8 (results may vary).
We must remember that one of the biggest goals in Techno is that it should remain functional as Dance music. It’s what gives the music purpose, and in Techno, that has always been done in an artistic manner. To have the art and the raison d’être both be present here and to have it presented in a fun and grooving sort of way is great. But never mind about all the deeper meanings about Techno’s ethics and sensibilities. Who cares, when you’re sitting there, bopping along in your chair?
-Sean Ocean
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