Tohu Bohu

Editors’ Notes Parisian born (and Berlin residing) producer Erwan Castex arrived on the electronic music scene in 2007 under the Rone moniker, but it was his widely accessible 2009 debut full-length Spanish Breakfast that put him on the map. And just as his first album appealed to living-room speakers as well as the dance floor, his 2012 sophomore release Tohu Bohu also balances laid-back ambiance with danceable grooves — but on a higher plane. Opening track “Tempelhof” sets the mood with melodic tones droning underneath experimental techno. But it’s “Bye Bye Macadam” that gets more daring by blending big hip-hop beats with a string section and what sounds like an old harpsichord from the 1060s. “La Grande Ourse” oozes the warm tones of an electric jazz piano before skittering rhythms pitter and patter alongside the kind of boomy bass that’s normally reserved for blasting out from tricked-out car stereos. The following “Beast” provides a nice contrast with a less-is-more minimalism. Boasting some flowing rhymes by High Priest Of Antipop Consortium, “Let’s Go” is the album’s gem.