TLOBF Loves… Toykult

-

I discovered Doncaster’s finest (OK, I’m guessing here), Toykult, via a random friends invitation on mySpace – love it or loathe it, it has its uses – and I immediately took to their playful brand of dancy electronica. While there was an obvious sophistication, there was also a good dose of northern humour thrown in and while there was a dark, almost gothy edge to many of the tunes, they were also undeniably danceable.

The closest comparison I can think of is the mighty Renegade Soundwave, which is high praise from me – they were one of the bands that drew me to the indie/dance crossover thing in the late 80s, and their album In Dub is still a regular in my CD player. RS were cited as a major influence by The Chemical Brothers, and are seen as a forerunner of both big beat and drum ‘n’ bass. Not a bad CV. There’s also a hint of Pop Will Eat Itself in there – a band I’ve been looking to properly replace since their sad demise about ten years ago. It’s not like they sound like them, more that they seem to embody that spirit that ran through those bands in the early nineties – EMF, Shamen etc. It’s white boys going drinking and clubbing but with a bit of respect, leaving the rugby boy idiocy at the door.

Toykult’s debut album, Sow Loco, is an absolute cracker. It drones, bounces and twangs its way into your soul and just when you think you’ve got it sussed, something quirky, interesting or slightly sinister happens and you have to re-evaluate it again. It’s very 90s, taking in the whole baggy vibe into the rhythms – you could definitely see Bezz gurning along to this soundtrack, but thankfully without the house piano. And there’s more to them than just the music.

A quick visit to www.toykult.com can not only get you the album, but some amazing digital image DVDs as well. Having seen some of the sixth form nonsense that’s passed off in clubs, this stuff looks well worth investing in. I’m no expert, but to my untrained eye they’ve come up with some amazing stuff. So that’s art and 90s electronica all in one cuddly bundle. And yes, soon they’ll be doing toys as well…