Tuning Echoes CD

Although critics will undoubtedly be tempted to, stapling Mock & Toof to the disco and nu disco sound that has continued to blossom over the last few years is surely a limiting description for the British duo. So far, the producers have conducted themselves with an originality, creativeness and eclecticism that renders this kind of categorisation as useless. Debut album, Turning Echoes acts as a marker for this approach, proving that it is simply impossible to pigeonhole the delightfully off kilter duo.<br>Duncan Stump (Mock) and Nick Woolfson (Toof) steadily built a reputation for themselves with illicit edits of Madonna, remixes for the likes of Hot Chip and Friendly Fires and a display of quirky and interesting releases for James Murphy’s DFA and Mule Musiq. But it is on Stump’s own Tiny Sticks imprint, which he founded in 2005 that Mock & Toof release their debut full length. Taking disco, deep house, post punk and pop amongst a whole host of other credible and mature music forms, the duo have created an album that combines a leftfield dance aesthetic with an infinitely broad sound palette to create a certain contender for this year’s most intriguing record. Citing David Byrne and Roxy Music as major influences, the album is more focused on an entire listening experience as opposed to just a collection of tracks. Having spent over a year in the studio writing and producing, Tuning Echoes is a largely vocal affair that also features previous collaborator Gavin Gordon and the Munich based singer-songwriter Pollyester. Having said that, Mock & Toof have not totally abandoned their love of the dancefloor, as alluded to on tracks such as "The Key," "Underwater" and"“Normans Eyes." We also see the twinkling pop of "From Kashima," the electronic boogie of "Day Ken Died" and the slo-mo arpeggiation of "P2160." A wonderfully unique and diverse album, Turning Echoes cements Mock & Toof’s position of two of the UK’s most creative producers.

Coyote (is It Balearic? Recordings), The Barking Dogs, Andy Ticker, DJ Magazine