2020. Luxembourg-based electronic artist Tobisonics released his debut solo productions “All These Things” & “Military Industrial Complex”; attracting the attention of tastemaker DJ Tobi Lynn of Amazing Radio US & earning a spot of KGUP’s daily rotation; plus features across scores of respected independent radio shows, including Exile FM’s Trust the Doc (FOTN Moderator Neil March), Artefaktor’s Sneak Peek, Wig Wam’s BandWagon.
Wednesday, January 20th 2021. Tobisonics announces the release of “Eye of the Storm”; an 80s inspired anthem of hope, an energizing dose of electro-synth retro-wave. Sampling President John F Kennedy’s famous inauguration speech with vocals & words from London-based Hip Hop Artist Costi (ft. on BBC Intro Mixtape, Radio 6), “Eye of the Storm” is Tobi’s first collaboration in what he refers to as “the year of collaboration”, with three more projects planned for 2021.
Costi’s works his words off the dual-rhythmic layers of bass & beat built into the production with impressive finesse; delivering a storming beat-based mantra in the chorus, “The futures bright that’s the neon lights, Demolition man put your dreams on ice.”; while switching-up in 2nd verse with a blistering bassline-based turn of pace, “We ride all the way to the eye of the storm, Can’t keep up the pace as race as chase, The greats to the place where the fire is born, Raise again just to die for the cause”.
In the shadow of Brexit, Trump, and the rise of populist nationalism/jingoism across the western world, Kennedy’s words resonate evermore, “In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger.” Reflecting upon the political tone of his previous release, Tobi admits to mixed feelings, “I feel ‘Military Industrial Complex’ was artistically successful but, in terms of its application, it failed. I wanted to engage with traditional voters on the right, instead I just ended up just preaching to the choir”. With “Eye of the Storm”, Tobi realized the way to tackle populist nationalism is not with clever comparisons, but with hope. “I wanted to remind people of a time when we believed we could be one race of humans. When we believed we could be a great people, a global people.”; the often-overlooked second part to Kennedy’s most famous quote ending the track on the perfect note, “My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man”.
Produced, mixed and mastered entirely in DIY Home Studios, Tobisonics productions have earned a reputation for an uncompromising standard of production; with glowing praise from BBC Radio DJs Abbie McCarthy (BBC Radio 1 & BBC Kent) “Enjoyed listening to this, ace production 👏🏼” and Kitty Perrin (BBC Norfolk) “Really cool production on this. Got a really dark quality to it!”; and attract regular comparisons to Daft Punk, The Crystal Method, Leftfield, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
“Eye of the Storm” is due to be released on all platforms, Wednesday, 20th January in recognition of Joe Biden’s Inauguration. An exclusive early release via Bandcamp, alongside the release of the full lyric video is due Monday, 11th January.
lyrics
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
Welcome to the running man
Just keep running man
Did it for dogs said he was the Son of Sam
No terms for the job that’s determined by god
Or the man with the complex cursed with the job
Sympathetic to his symptoms
Introspective with his wisdom
But they never seem to listen
Intercepted by the system
Counting the seconds as they ticking
Terror setting in they stricken
Power is taken not given
We ain’t playing that’s the difference
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
We ride all the way to the eye of storm
Can’t keep up the pace as race as chase
The greats to the place where the fire is born
Raise again just to die for the cause
Welcome to the thunderdome admission is a hundred souls
Feeling like the hunger games but I ain’t hungry though
Overworked and undersold
Couldn’t see the signals said
The plan went up in smoke
Seven with the double oh
Bonded by their difference
The city that they living in
Hoping for deliverance
But never get the dividends
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
In the long history of the world
Only a few generations
Have been granted the role
Of defending freedom
In its hour of maximum danger
I do not shrink from this responsibility
I welcome it
I do not believe that any of us
Would exchange places
With any other people
Or any other generation
The energy the faith the devotion
Which we bring to this endeavor
Will light our country
And all who serve it
And the glow from that fire
Can truly light the world
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
(And so my fellow Americans)
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
(ask not)
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
(what your country can do for you)
Countdown started and we leave tonight
(ask what you can do for your country)
The futures bright that’s the neon lights
Demolition man put your dreams on ice
Said it’s going down if you’re seen on sight
Countdown started and we leave tonight
My fellow citizens of the world
Ask not what America will do for you
But what together we can do
For the freedom of man
credits
released January 20, 2021
Music & Production: Tobisonics
Vocals & Lyrics: Costi
Mix Engineer: Magnus Emilsson
Mastering Engineer: Tobisonics
Lyric Video: Tobisonics
Having spent his volatile teenage years in awful/awesome guitar bands; music fell away in Tobi’s 20s, as he wrestled with
his mental health. A last roll-of-the-dice appointment with a Psychiatrist in his mid-30s finally led to therapy and medication. Flooded with years of repressed emotions and the songs fell out of him. The slow grind of recovery and music-making evolved together....more
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