Tocadisco feat. Chelonis R. Jones - Shrine

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  • “The biggest influence here in Cologne in terms of labels is Kompakt,” says DJ Tocadisco. Sounds like a tough place to live when you’re a one dimensional, electro-by-numbers guy. But all credit to him, Tocadisco has made it. Through some catchy (and timely) reworks of Mylo and The Egg a few years ago, Roman Boer muscled his way into the burgeoning electro house scene and has since become Superstar’s cash cow. His recent ‘Black Series Part 2’ was surprisingly good tech house, but alas, this record sees Tocadisco climb back on the electro-cheese horse. ‘Shrine’ is unoriginal and abrasive for the most part, with the only respite coming when Chelonis R. Jones vocal goes to work in the breakdown, laid over some Rhodes and strings. Predictably, it returns to the electro stuff to close. But here’s where it gets interesting—the remixers are Audiofly, Extrawelt and Crookers. Audiofly takes the cut down a few by deepening it and adding more warmth. They replace the abrasive whines with hypnotic synths and Jones’s vocal is reduced to monosyllabic stabs. It’s a classic tech house sound perfect for warm ups. Extrawelt turn out a very familiar sound centered around yet another Extrawelt heaving bassline with some gorgeous melody work overtop. Unfortunately it becomes monotonous quickly, with the bass pattern remaining unchanged for the entirety. Lastly it’s electro’s latest darlings Crookers. Their bi-polar take on the genre is pure fun and a breath of fresh air. Their remix makes Chelonis R. Jones vocal the focus, to which they contort around squealing lines and a rocking bassline. Crookers are rave to the point of hilarity, and I, for one, am all for it. Tocadisco knows what he’s doing. His easily swallowed tracks are prefect for the spoon-fed masses, and ‘Shrine’ is no exception. But the remixes are worth checking out. 4/5 for Audiofly and Crookers. 2/5 for Tocadisco and Extrawelt. 3/5 and let's call it a day.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Shrine (Tocadisco Club Mix) A2 Shrine (Audiofly Rmx) B1 Shrine (Crookers Rmx) B2 Shrine (Extrawelt Rmx)
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