COEO are back on Toy Tonics! After uninterrupted touring around the globe, followed by a short creative break the guys come back with an even stronger sound. With the new EP they go more underground again. Its addressed to the clubs and night owls out there, who turn night into day and won't stop dancing!
The sound is based on classic house patterns and includes a lot of cool saxophones, big piano stabs & rhythmic piano solos. They even go tribal, use arpeggios and switch into breakbeat heaven. The four Originals are a great next step in the COEO evolution. The unique warm, catchy atmosphere of the tracks can create that special COEO euphoria which made them a lot of fans. From Moodymann to Disclosure, Mall Grab to Kenny Dope, the list is long.
It’s fantastic to see how popular they became over the last couple of years. The last COEO vinyl sold over 2500 copies and some of their tracks have millions of Spotify plays. It’s DJ FOOD. Pure bliss!
You know Munk probably from the songs he did with James Murphy, Peaches, Asia Argento or one of many other indie disco tracks he released on his former label Gomma. Gomma now is sleeping and since Mathias Munk Modica started the Toy Tonics label with his friends Manu Kim & Mo Butschek he hasn’t released many things under that name. Instead has been playing keyboards, bass and drums on many tracks of other artists on the TT label. And of course has been building up the TT imprint from his new home in Berlin. Now it’s summer and it felt right to put out a few balearic remixes reworks of Munk tracks. Beach party and daytime disco vibe. So here u get reworks of Munk’s friends Severino from Horse Meat Disco, Lauer, and Kai Alce from Detroit. Right for this summer.
a1. Munk - Misterio (Severino Horse Meat Disco Remix)
The album comes in the right moment: It's a great time for Toy Tonics: MixMag had the label in their "10 best labels of the year" list. DJ's like Harvey, Kerri Chandler, Moodymann, Gerd Janson, Hunee, Black Madonna playing the records. The releases selling out on vinyl constantly. And: Toy Tonics just joined the K7! family. One of the most prestigious electronic music collectives. After doing one EP per month for the last five years, now here is the first album. Made by Toy Tonics' head honcho KAPOTE. With a lot of live instruments, solos, clever using of rare samples and a wide range of musical inspirations. Pure quality and freshness for 2019.
But: who is Kapote? If you are a Toy Tonics follower you know: he is one of the two guys running the label. The mysterious person never showing his face. Always appearing next to Munk - the other Toy Tonic boss. But well, it's time to solve the little mystery. As it was obvious for many anyway: Kapote is Munk! It's the same person. It's Mathias Modica. The Italo- German music nerd, labelowner, vinyl collector, keybord wizzard, DJ und producer based in Berlin. Modica is both artists: Munk & Kapote. And he is the creative mind behind Toy Tonics and Gomma. He started Toy Tonics with two friends five years ago. To release music of new talents he met around the world while djing. Before Toy Tonics he was running the (now sleeping) Gomma label. While Gomma was dedicated to indie disco and weird electronica, Toy Tonics stands for advanced funk inspirated dancemusic.
Coeo have been travelling in Japan and discovered the magic of City Pop: That Japanese Disco movement of the 1980ies. Back then there were amazing dance tracks coming out of Japan. Some with Japanese lyrics others with American vocals. Often so perfectly played and recorded that it was hard to tell if the music came out of NYC basement studios or for real Asiatic studio musicians. Coeo found a lot of rare jams and did edits for their DJ sets. As at the Toy Tonics office everybody is always searching for the rare and unknown the crew was totally excited. And so the decision was made quickly: Let’s put out a few of these rare jams & edits. Here they are.
Dimitri from Paris & DJ Rocca on Toy Tonics!? Some might wonder, other will understand. The reason: Toy Tonics records is made by the same guys who used to run the (currently sleeping) indie disco label GOMMA. And Dimitri & Rocca did a couple of EPs on Gomma some years ago. Now it’s 2019 and some of their older works sound still/again so fresh that it made sense to release them again on Toy Tonics. That’s why you get this package. Three jams perfectly for the summer: The ultra 1990ies house remix for Italian duo Hard Ton. Then their all time disco superjam Ero Disco Theme and the long time sold out and currently highly looked for Ray Mang remix of Dimitri’s collabo with band Los Amigos Invisibles. That “Glad to know you” version goes for a lot of $$$ on Discogs, so why not put it out again. Have fun with Dimitri & Rocca. Old school house and disco dream team.
a1. Los Amigos Invisibles & Dimitri From Paris - Glad to Know You (Ray Mang’s Flying Dub)
b1. Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - Ero Disco Theme
b2. Hard Ton - In This Moment (Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca Erodiscomix)
New York’s indie disco freaks Phenomenal Handclap Band is back with a second single on Toy Tonics: Jail. With remixes by Detroit’s Waajeed and Marcel Vogel of Lumberjacks in Hell. Including a club edit by Toy Tonics head honcho Kapote. The band was responsible for one of Toy Tonics’ biggest tracks in 2018: Judge Not: The Ray Mang version became a hit on open minded dancefloors around the globe: with support from DJ’s like DJ Harvey, Cassius and Gilles Peterson (who put it int his „best track of the year“ list) but also more house DJ’s like Berlin’s Keine Musik Crew, Soundstream or Superpitcher. The band’s members are kind of heroes to many connoisseurs of the funk/ disco scene. The band leader Daniel Collas was playing keys in Amy Winehouse legendary backing band. Other members are connected to Mark Ronson’s crew or San Francisco’s Stones Throw universe.. just to give u the bigger picture. With The Phenomenal Handclap Band they blend the unique vibe of 1970ies Power-Soul in the traditon of Charles Stepney and Rotary Connection with today’s new disco vibe. Parcels, Toro Y Moi, Roosevelt are not that far. Important fact: All played live, no samples. Mixed by the champs at DFA. The band is part of Toy Tonics’s masterplan to expand their dancevibes into more live played scenarios.. stepping out of the strict DJ context. Fun fact? Paul McCartney wrote the band a letter saying how much he loved their music when he first heard the band on BBC Radio 1.
a1. Phenomenal Handclap Band - Jail (Waajeed’s Funkytown Remix)
a2. Phenomenal Handclap Band - Jail (Marcel Vogel Remix)
b1. Phenomenal Handclap Band - Jail (Kapote Extended Mix)
b2. Phenomenal Handclap Band - Jail (Original 12” Mix)
LP 2x12″ MUNK presents: TEUTONIK DISASTER (Compilation) German New Wave Funk 1979 - 1983 Compilation originally released 2003 on Gomma records. A very special compilation. 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk. Toy Tonics label heads Mathias Munk Modica and Kapote present Teutonik Disaster, a very special compilation with 8 edits and reworks of rare German New Wave Funk and Disco Punk from 1979 to 1983.
a1. Die Heteros - Monogamie, Kannibalismus unserer Zeit (Kapote Rework)
a2. Camilla Motor - Gefahr Im Tivoli (Kapote Rework)
Demuja, Harry Wolfman, Jad & The, Felipe Gordon and Black Loops on one EP! Toy Tonics has released the EPs from the hype kids of the new funk house scene in 2018. But a few of their goodies had not been pressed on vinyl yet and so here they come on black gold!
Some of these tracks have been quite buzzing around: supported by people like DJ Seinfeld, Benji B, Bradley Zero. Just to name a few. Seems that the funky futuristic sound of Toy Tonics is finding more and more friends.
When Fouk & Glenn Astro remix a new artist you know what the vibe is: Dirty DIY house with a heavy funk vibe. Mangabey is the new kid on the Toy Tonics family and he is a master of this style. He lives in Lyon/ France (and is a good friend of Folamour who remixed his first EP on Toy Tonics some months ago). But Mangabey takes the whole new Funk-House sound to another level. While many of his colleagues work with samples, Mangabey studied Jazz piano and collects vintage synths. And so he plays most of the stuff himself and bring in a lot of personality. His works could remind the vibe of New York Soul House from the 1990ies or the sounds from the West London scene from 20 years ago, but definitely he adds a modern, edgy touch to it. Mangabey aka Jose Fehner is an interesting personality: Born in the south of France in a family of traveling artists. As a kid he has been living on a boat and in caravans, traveling France and Africa with a wild theatre collective directed by his parents who are actors. Later he went to music university and now finally, by age of 22, he lives in Lyon. Lyon is becoming France’ second music town. The town that has the most vibrant club and producer scene right now. So, yes: There is a lot to come from there… a lot from Mangabey.
Yes - this is a very special record: NYC‘s Phenomenal Handclap Band meets London’s Ray Mang - the psychedelic soul disciples meet the disco champ by way of remix. Ray Mang is a hero to fans of underground disco: remixer, collector, producer, DJ - he is part of that magic circle of London DJ connoisseurs around DJ Harvey. He has the magic disco touch, and has applied it to great effect to PHB’s “Judge Not". He did a fresh, new take on house-heavy gospel disco that is sure to fill any dancefloor. Try it! For those who don’t know New York’s almost legendary band: The Phenomenal Handclap Band is led by producer Daniel Collás, and consists of some of New York’s finest new soul & disco musicians. Some of them used to play in the Amy Winehouse band and others can be heard on some of Mark Ronson’s productions. Their biggest moment was when they released their single “15 to 20″ some years ago (on Gomma Records) and Paul McCartney wrote them a letter about how much he loved that song when he heard it on BBC Radio 1. On “Judge Not” they come up with dazzling piano lines, a deep rare funk rhythm section, and a street corner gospel choir that brings you to your feet. Ray Mang heard the original version of this song and was hyped to become involved in the remix, and the pairing is complementary to say the least. Many of you know PHB from their collaborations with such luminaries as Peaches or Marcos Valle or Bryan Ferry, a prime appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, and direct support on Bryan Ferry’s US tour. The group is currently finishing a new album.
Kapote is back with a new EP. The Berlin based head of Toy Tonics, passionate vinyl digger and DJ comes back with 3 new tracks. As always the Kapote’s music is hard to file under one genre. “I hate clichees in dance music” he says. “My DJ sets are never committed to just one style and so i want my EPs to be more open than most DJ records are.
Rhode & Brown are back on their motherlabel Toy Tonics! After last year's breakbeat - tune "St Hippolyte" and getting remixed by their buddies Hodini and Glenn Astro, their new EP takes their sound further again. From DIY-disco to dreamy house, whatever you like to call it.. the tracks have this joyful touch, that makes their sound so special.
This time their production way was a little bit different: While spending holidays on the marvellous island of Zanzibar they produced the raw versions of this EP. They set up their studio at a beach cabanne. With a monkey becoming their muse. They monkey came over every day to listen to their sounds. They became friends and called the monkey Rosie and fed her with mangos.
When back in Europe the Munich boys still were in a "balearic mood". So they went to a house deep in the south of France to finish the music. The result were 4 tracks. Three for this EP. And one track that they gave to the other Munich based label Public Possession for their recent SERIE A compilation. Which makes totally sense: Public Possession and Toy Tonics both have links to Gomma records. It's all a family thing. Where Great Munich vibes incoming!
COEO are Toy Tonics’ lead artists and they don’t joke! Technically perfect on a level that most producers start to get jealous. Musically filled up with so much knowledge about the history of Disco and House that it’s no wonder that big names like Kenny Dope, Borrowed Identity and Tensnake are huge fans. And their style…? It’s a pure hedonistic discoish attitude that combines the funk driven eclecticism of today, the curiosity of young music cats who always want to be ahead and a sense of QUALITY in music that we miss in so many of today’s house music productions. In fact it’s 2017 and a lot is changing in the House scene. The “old” melancholic deep house now is quite dead - while most Deep House charts are filled up with sample based Funk House. COEO are regularly on the top of the several Deep House charts, and there is a reason: Their tracks have that kind of new, nasty, sexualised vibe that gets more inspired from the late 1990ies French touch house or early Masters at Work production. From Jazz DJ’s and DJ Sets of wildstyle DJ’s like Harvey or the Idjut Boys. It’s not any more about the old schematic Ketamine Deep House that always sounds the same (and makes your feet fall asleep.) Listen to Flesh World! It’s black music basically. It’s Booty sound. Disco for sure. This track gets you riding on a trip. Play it one time and you’ll play it every time. And: Check the percussion jam remix by Toy Tonics head Kapote.
The New York City DJ and music originator made one of his rare remixes. For the Toy Tonics series.
Claussell is a pioneer. Blending African and Brazilian rhythms with Disco and House since the early 1990ies. Inspiring the music world with his labels Spiritual Life Music and Ibadan records and with his legendary Body & Soul parties that he run for 6 years with Francois K and Danny Krivit in NYC. For Toy Tonics he remixed an obscure afro funk song by German Afro - Kraut Band Karl Hector & The Malcouns and Nicolas Tounga, singer from Burkina Faso. The original song was released on a limited 7" on Now Again records/ L.A. in 2008. Sold out for a long time. Claussell's remix is an amazing 11 minutes afrotechno jam. A great journey though styles.
Also on this EP: Night Masquerade by Vito & Druzzi. Again: NYC guys. You might know the boys also for beeing part of The Rapture/ DFA. Since a few years they produce electronic music under the name of Vito & Druzzi. Part of New York's Throne of Blood crew. Some might remember their vocal contribution for Joakim's Bring Your Love. On their track for Toy Tonics they go tribal. Somewhere between Steve Reich inspired Gamelan pattern, smooth flowing over a 4/4 beat top by a nasty, 1970ies Funk synth solo that turns the whole track into a new direction. Third track is by Kapote, man behind Toy Tonics and owner of many great records with hot samples. His Besamo Fly is a 110 Bpm slow house jam - makes you think about Mexican beaches or Paris Filter House nights of the 1990ies..
a1. Karl Hector & Nicolas Tounga - Ngunga Yeti Fofa (The Joaquin Joe Claussell's Electric Afrika Version)
Here comes the new Black Loops EP! And by now you know what to expect: These irresistible rolling groove patterns with that unique warm Black Loops-feeling. That special vibe that made Black Loops one of the leading artists on Toy Tonics. By now it's exactly four years that they released their debut EP "Right Now" on the Gomma sublabel. They did four EPs on Toy Tonics since then - followed by selected releases on Neo Vinyl, Pets and Gruuv records. Since the beginning Black Loops have been consistently developing their own style. The fact that Riccardo Paffetti - the Black Loops main man - is a drummer explains why their way to program the beats has this special flow. A flow that you can't find on many other house production. Also the way they choose and cut the samples brings in a special soulish, nasty vibe. Just listen to the way the cut the vocal samples on Le Mirage! How nasty can u be? The new EP features 3 unreleased tracks and their last year's hit song SEX. Sex was released on a Toy Tonics Jockey Jams VA EP and became one of the best selling tracks on Toy Tonics. It reached no.1 on all relevant DJ Portals, has been played by big DJ's from all kind of scenes. The track even made it into the Top 30 of best selling track of Beatport in 2016.The new EP includes the original track and also a even more dancefloor effective alternative version. Black Loops music gets made in the middle of Berlin Kreuzberg. In the smokey ZHUT studio. Where lots of Toy Tonics records get made and mixed. When not hanging in the studio the guys DJ around the globe. Black Loops are on fire. Let's keep it burning.
The Toy Tonics crew is known for being addicted to two things: vintage music machines and old vinyl. 100% music aficionados. On the Tonic Edit series the crew shares some of their favorite old tracks - in a reworked version.
This time COEO get back in time. They destroyed a couple of 1970ies disco jams. Recut & repasted them. And gave them their special COEO touch. Of course it's irresistible! This release comes on vinyl only first. Later maybe could be out on selected Digital sellers.. not sure yet.
Second 12″ sampler of forthcoming Mushroom House compilation incl 4 exclusive tracks. Full-Cover. Limited to 300 copies. Toy Tonics going Afro House. The MUSHROOM HOUSE compilation series part brings 4 unreleased tracks. Including two of the most relevant names of the growing scene: AUNTIE FLO from UK and mysterious producer HYENAH. Hyenah is a favourite of the scene’s main man Black Coffee and DJ’s like Dixon and the Innervisions circle are heavy fans. Also on this EP a new track by Toy Tonics very own ZHUT & KAPOTE. Kids from Berlin with a good buzz right now. Inside their track Afro Rico an Senegalese child choir meets some Zappaesque Marimbas going crazy… And as a bonus track you find Munk’s Nigerian Jam: A Nigerian Funk band rolling over an heavy disco beat. Very deep, but very effective.
COEO are to Toy Tonics records, what Master at Work were to the House scene of the 1990ies: They bring the Soul into the House. Their new EP “Back In The Days” is a 4 track house stomper that could have been made in 1997 by guys like Sneak, Dimitri from Paris or Little Louie. But still the similarities to the new Berlin Sample-House scene around Max Graef and Hodini are evident, too.