This four track EP arrived in my inbox at a serendipitous moment when I had been searching for a tune that had a head-nodding house beat with a hint of Dilla-esque off-timing, an Innervisions-era Stevie Wonder bass sound, jazz funk chords, and P-Funk synth squiggles. Luckily for me, A1 ‘No Requests’ from Toribo contains all these elements. It’s fresh, slick and funky and while the chords have a hint of that supa-smooth soulful house aesthetic, the (don’t say off kilter don’t say off kilter) slightly wonky rhythm track and quality playing/programming keeps things firmly underground. B2 “New House New Home” gathers a few contrasting parts — organ, synth stabs, keys, a bass that isn’t sure what key it should be in, and some tasty 70s retro synth licks — and underpins the whole thing with an irresistibly shuffling house groove. There’s a single musical idea that is rinsed out throughout the track and then, good news, it does a totally unexpected thing in the middle, love it when tunes do that, breaking down and striping things back to showcase the gnarly b-line in a way that I bet will make your floor go off.
A2, the title track is another fresh groove that I was really into, but I’m not feeling the vocal to be honest. A dub or instrumental would be ideal, failing that the final two minutes and first minute are pure fire so you could just edit them together at home or do a nifty little remix when you play it out, or, third option, you could ignore my opinion on the vocal and drop the tune in the normal way like a normal person, totally your call.
There’s a DJ Spinna remix of “Brown Cocoa Skin” too where he glams it up a bit, reduces the vocal volume and turns it into quite a driving jam, but for me it’s the originals on here that really shine.
Toribio: Brown Cocoa Skin EP (Real Feel Records / 12″ Vinyl)
1. Toribio: No Requests (06:27)
2. Toribio: Brown Cocoa Skin (06:50)
3. Toribio: Brown Cocoa Skin (DJ Spinna Remix) (07:17)
4. Toribio: New House, New Home (05:50)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo.