UK producers and remix sensations Mock & Toof are rolling through with their debut full-length Tuning Echoes set for release May 24th. Riding a reputation as one of the most sought after acts on the DJ circuit, Mock & Toof demonstrate what happens when one combines an education in house music with a love of experimental pop and psychedelic rock.
Duncan Stump (Mock) & Nick Woolfson (Toof) are two of the UK's most creative music producers. Having made a name for themselves via 12" releases on James Murphy's DFA Recordings and their own Tiny Sticks imprint; the pair have forged a reputation for brilliantly off-kilter, disco-fuelled house grooves that are laced with originality. Enough originality in fact to have caught the attention of Hot Chip, Zero 7, Holy Ghost! and Groove Armada who've all come calling for their remix services.
Tuning Echoes is not a "nu-disco" album of grooves. It would have been far too easy for the duo to compile ten club tracks and call it an album. "We've never been about 'nu-disco', whatever that means anyway
" Explains Duncan. "Anyone who knows our music will know that we're a bit all over the place as producers, if we like an idea we run with it and we're much more comfortable being eclectic and not pigeonholed." The debut shows a new direction and ambition for Mock & Toof with a step outside of the nightclubs they were helping to soundtrack, and far more towards a modern pop song, from the vocals to the hypnotic arrangements and rhythm tracks.
With one listen to the album, you'll soon realize where they're coming from. Tuning Echoes is the sound of two producers coming of age. Citing Roxy Music and David Byrne as major influences, the duo spent over a year in the studio writing and producing material, making sure it sounded exactly how they wanted it. Two key people in the overall sound (other than Duncan and Nick) are previous collaborator Gavin Gordon and Munich-based singer-songwriter Pollyester, who both provide the vocals and lyrics across the LP.
Overall it's the vibe created by Mock & Toof that will earn Tuning Echoes repeat plays this summer. With the help of Gavin and Pollyester, they've created one of the standout soundtracks of 2010 so far. With plans in place to take a live show to festivals this summer, expect to hear lots more from Mock & Toof over the coming months.