The Third Man - Future Tense EP

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  • It's perhaps inescapable that a British person producing Detroit-inspired techno will be compared to Kirk Degiorgio and his Scottish compatriot, Vince Watson. Especially when that person is signed to the former's ART imprint. Thus I present Toby Leemings, the 26 year-old better known as The Third Man. Placed alongside these two luminaries, Leemings generally seems more influenced by electro. Otherwise, his sound is much the same: Clean and intensely melodic. The Londoner's debut was back in 2008, with Before We Begin, followed by an album that same year. The title track opens with sparkling electronic chimes and hollow offbeat drums, which nonetheless hit hard. Next, a throbbing bass program is introduced via Roland tom fills. It proves versatile, dominating the whole track and acting as much as a melody as it does a groove-setter. Leemings fills in the gaps around it with alien choirs and what sounds like a super high-pitched marimba, resulting in a very noisy (and enjoyable) track. "More Than One" is sleeker, though still relatively busy. Aqueous chimes form an understated hook, which spools out alongside an equally jaunty bassline. Coupled with placid ripples of synth here and there, the overall mood is one of playfulness, albeit natural-sounding. With records like this, Leemings will continue to garner comparisons to the masterful Degiorgio and Watson.
  • Tracklist
      A Future Tense B More Than One
RA