Todd Tobias
“it’s tribute to Todd Tobias’s skill as a producer and arranger that the pace never slackens and that he’s quite effectively produced the audio equivalent of a graphic novel, one that will keep you listening right up until its cataclysmic final moments.” – DOA
After years of producing Guided By Voices and playing in Circus Devils with Robert Pollard, Todd Tobias branched out on his own, producing a string of themed instrumental albums for Hidden Shoal, each one unique in its evocation of an imagined world. His music is defiantly unique and vividly realised across his evolving discography.
Discography
Todd Tobias & Chloe March – Amialluma
September 2018
After a number of stunning track collaborations on Todd Tobias’s 2015 album Gila Man, Chloe March and Todd Tobias have joined forces on their new full-length, Amialluma. Following on from Tobias’s recent album Massabu Evening Entertainments and March’s own Blood-Red Spark, this new album brings both artists’ distinct musical sensibilities together to create a bewitching brew. Dwelling in a mysterious hinterland somewhere between Cocteau Twins’ seminal Victorialand and The Caretaker’s Persistent Repetition of Phrases, Amialluma dances between the earthly and heavenly. Chloe March’s celestial voice shines a light through Todd Tobias’s dark, fantastical soundscapes, resulting in a sublime, uncanny experience that enraptures and unsettles in equal measure.
Massabu Evening Entertainments
March 2018 This time Tobias breaks out a rollicking set of Middle-Eastern flavored psychedelia. Massabu’s 13 breathless tracks evoke a night club grotto in some exotic port town filled with wild dancers and intoxicating fumes. Tobias is joined on three tracks by Italian vocalist Pat Moonchy, who lends a playful, otherworldly touch.
Gila Man
18 October 2015 Each Todd Tobias solo album presents its own discrete, surreal world – and Gila Man is no exception. A wordless musical novella that merges a psychedelic Western with shadowy science fiction, Gila Man simultaneously evokes the wide-eyed wonder of discovery and the creeping dread of what horrors may lurk around the next corner. Featuring the stunning wordless vocals of English songwriter and fellow Hidden Shoal artist Chloë March, the album is at once beautiful and unsettling – and a wonderful distillation of the magical qualities of Tobias’s previous musical outings. Gila Man’s individual songs vividly evoke characters and scenes within the album’s imaginary narrative, casting dusty projections onto the mind’s eye. Breezily meditative single ‘Pollen Path’ shimmers with acoustic fingerpicking and Chloë March’s celestial voice. ‘Howler’s Hill’ breaks out of its haunted intro into an agitated, fuzzy churn, while ‘Queen Mab’ circles around synth and chime motifs to create a delicate, melancholic dirge. ‘Tularosa’, again featuring Chloë March, is woozy, French-sounding atmos-pop. ‘Highlake’s Last Stand’ pits dreamy guitar wanderings against ritualistic sludge rock. Wherever this music ventures, the listener is compelled to follow.
Tristes Tropiques
June 2015 While best known for producing Guided By Voices and collaborating with Robert Pollard (Circus Devils, Ricked Wicky and Pollard’s solo material), Tobias has also crafted an innovative body of instrumental solo work, of which Tristes Tropique is the latest chapter. Hypnotic and melancholy-soaked, Tristes Tropique presents a luxuriant yet downcast tone, drawing comparisons to the eerie, transportive work of The Fun Years, The Gentleman Losers and Ian William Craig. This is no better exemplified than on single ‘Suvarnabhumi’, in which sparse, yearning guitar figures are subsumed by ethereal synths. Sinister yet alluring, these musical environments throb with sensuality, danger and promise. Tristes Tropique takes its title from the book by French anthropologist Claude Levi Strauss, which literally translates as “sad tropics”. Tobias sought to evoke far-flung places where indigenous cultures have either vanished or are in the process of being swallowed up by an ever-expanding global civilization.
Moorea
June 2015 Moorea is the stunning companion EP to Todd Tobias’s brilliant 2015 album Tristes Tropiques.
Impossible Cities
October 2014 Impossible Cities is the latest visionary chapter in Todd Tobias’s ongoing exploration of rock’s darkest and most hypnotic realms. Inspired by the Ital Calvino book Invisible Cities, each track is named after an imaginary city, from the glistening exoticism of ‘Lamura’ via the seething murk of ‘Gorgum Reeth’ and ‘Smazbaal’ to the eerie, shimmering grandeur of ‘Akrova’, Tobias’s latest musical universe is vividly rendered, scary, beautiful and utterly immersive. The album comes with the companion mini-album Impossible Cities 2, which comprises 10 haunting vignettes.
Impossible Cities 2
October 2014 Impossible Cities 2, comprising 10 haunting vignettes, is the free companion mini-album to Todd Tobias’s Impossible Cities.
I Razor (featuring Circus Devils)
May 2013 I Razor, by Todd Tobias and Circus Devils, is the soundtrack to the no-budget experimental feature film of the same name directed by Todd Tobias. The I Razor soundtrack comprises challenging, playful, twisted, murky and downright beautiful pieces of music by Todd Tobias and Circus Devils, featuring vocals from Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) as well as instrumental versions of some of the Devil’s existing songs. The album is a cinematic feast within itself, uncompromising, redemptive and always engaging. It weaves lo-fi keyboards through shimmering guitar textures, scatters unsettling rhythms across ethereal synthscapes, and unveils kaleidoscopic new treasures among its 30+ tracks with each listen. Told from the perspective of a former scientist turned wandering telepathic man-child, I Razor is the story of one man’s quest to regain his lost humanity. I Razor presents its world in hallucinatory visions, reflecting the state of mind of its main character. The story is told with minimal dialog and an open plot structure, relying instead on visuals and music to carry it’s narratives.
Night Above Ground
November 2012 In contrast to Medicine Show‘s serpentine construction and intense atmosphere, Night Above Ground is more airy, accessible and playful, bursting into vivid life with the crowd chatter and tumbling noisescapes of ‘Invocation’. Immersive, hypnotic tracks such as ‘Crystal Palace People’ alternate with brief, impressionistic pieces such as ‘Workshop of Spears’ and ‘Ashes and Cream’. The EP’s 17 minutes flow past your third eye like a Dali-esque dream.
Medicine Show
April 2012 After years of producing Guided By Voices, playing in Circus Devils with Robert Pollard, and helping to create the music for Pollard’s solo albums, Todd Tobias is striking out on his own with his debut solo album. Defiantly unique and vividly realised, Medicine Show is a multi-faceted instrumental opus, evoking a shadowy steampunk dystopia. By turns nightmarish and hauntingly beautiful, the three-dimensional musical universe that Tobias conjures across 40 minutes is totally addictive. From the dark GBV-esque groove of ‘Night of the Club Foot’, through the gaseous synths of ‘Pre-Dawn Visitation’, evoking a hallucinogen-fuelled walk among a misty moon-lit forest, to the visceral lurch of single ‘Manatoc Enters The City / The Long Fall’, Medicine Show plays out like the soundtrack to a Terry Gilliam movie starring Tom Waits, each song a totally immersive scene, leading inexorably into the next.
Biography
Todd Tobias grew up in Northeast Ohio, USA, where he played in a string of bands, culminating in Circus Devils, alongside fellow Ohioan, Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. In 2002, Todd began producing albums with Pollard, beginning with Guided by Voices’ Matador release Universal Truths and Cycles. Todd has also produced many other indie-rock projects over the years, including fellow Hidden Shoal artist Kramies. While playing in bands as a drummer or bassist, he continued work on his own with a cassette 4-track, creating soundscapes and his own brand of exotic rock, as showcased in his prolific work with Circus Devils. In 2012, Todd finally birthed his first solo work for Hidden Shoal, titled Medicine Show, followed by Impossible Cities (2014) and Tristes Tropiques (2015), each of which has been accompanied by a companion EP.
News
Moonchy & Tobias “Venus Mirror” EP Out Now!
We’re proud to announce the release of Venus Mirror, the sublime new EP from Moonchy & Tobias. The EP is available now through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal. Head to Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and the rest to soak in this beautiful release.Venus Mirror is a buoyant follow-up to the brooding, nocturnal atmospheres of the duo’s 2020 release Moonchy & Tobias III, the luminous, soothing Venus Mirror is infused with an almost tropical sway. On ‘Specchio Di Venere’, Tobias’ modulated synth, tuned percussion and acoustic guitar paint a widescreen scene, over which Moonchy’s vocal traces a mesmerizing wordless melody. On the other six tracks, Moonchy sings both in her native Italian and in ancient Latin, her voice soaring and graceful in turns. In the single ‘Delibo,’ the warm major sevenths of jazz are chilled by a shivering wind. ‘Leniter’ brings the EP to a fittingly ambiguous close, setting the listener adrift on see-sawing, reverb-drenched piano lines.
The music of Moonchy & Tobias is available for licensing for film, tv, web and beyond via Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
New Moonchy & Tobias Single, EP in June
We’re excited to announce the release of ‘Delibo, the new single from the forthcoming Moonchy & Tobias EP, Venus Mirror. The single is available now to download via Bandcamp and stream via SoundCloud ahead of the EP release on 5th June through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal. ‘Delibo’ is also accompanied by a beautiful music video from Pat Moonchy.
Venus Mirror is a buoyant follow-up to the brooding, nocturnal atmospheres of the duo’s 2020 release Moonchy & Tobias III, the luminous, soothing Venus Mirror is infused with an almost tropical sway. On ‘Specchio Di Venere’, Tobias’ modulated synth, tuned percussion and acoustic guitar paint a widescreen scene, over which Moonchy’s vocal traces a mesmerizing wordless melody. On the other six tracks, Moonchy sings both in her native Italian and in ancient Latin, her voice soaring and graceful in turns. In the single ‘Delibo,’ the warm major sevenths of jazz are chilled by a shivering wind. ‘Leniter’ brings the EP to a fittingly ambiguous close, setting the listener adrift on see-sawing, reverb-drenched piano lines.
The music of Moonchy & Tobias is available for licensing for film, tv, web and beyond via Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Out Now!
Hidden Shoal and Tiny Room Records are proud to present Moonchy & Tobias III, the sublime third collaborative album of vocalist Pat Moonchy (Faust, Sothiac) and multi-instrumentalist/producer Todd Tobias (GBV, Robert Pollard) under the Moonchy & Tobias banner. The album is available now on CD and in digital formats via Bandcamp, streaming via Spotify and is available to download or stream at most online stores. The music of Moonchy & Tobias is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.On their third collaborative album, vocalist Pat Moonchy and multi-instrumentalist/producer Todd Tobias delve deeper into the shadowy recesses of their intoxicating sound, creating an immersive soundtrack to our most uncanny nightmares. Moonchy’s primal vocals, mostly sung in Latin, thread through Tobias’s nocturnal atmospheres like smoke. As Moonchy explains, “When I sing in Latin it feels like discovering the details of ancient lives lost in time.” There’s a definite sense that something latent and primordial is being summoned – yet the full extent of its power is cloaked in mystery.
In an unintentional parallel, the album that III most resembles is Portishead’s majestic Third, which creates and inhabits its own haunted space. Where Moonchy & Tobias differ is in employing a more rustic approach to songcraft, while still evoking an exquisite sense of atmosphere. There’s an undeniable melancholy across these 12 tracks, but it never feels cloying, instead leavened by a poised theatricality and sense of play. The midnight hour has a new transportive soundtrack.
“Musically you have references such as Mi And L’Au, The Caretaker, Cranes, Dead Can Dance and Portishead , although they never quite cover what this pair brings here. In conclusion, you can safely say that you are certainly not dealing with an average combo. What a great, versatile and mesmerizing album!“ – De Subjectivisten
Continue reading →New Moonchy & Tobias Single and Music Video from the Forthcoming “III”
Hidden Shoal and Tiny Room Records are proud to present ‘Petali Caduti’, the second single from Moonchy & Tobias III, the new album by Moonchy & Tobias. The album sees release on the 30th October 2020. Check out the wonderful accompanying music video by Alice Murace on YouTube and stream the single on SoundCloud. More on Moonchy & Tobias here.On their third collaborative album, vocalist Pat Moonchy and multi-instrumentalist/producer Todd Tobias delve deeper into the shadowy recesses of their intoxicating sound, creating an immersive soundtrack to our most uncanny nightmares. Moonchy’s primal vocals, mostly sung in Latin, thread through Tobias’s nocturnal atmospheres like smoke. As Moonchy explains, “When I sing in Latin it feels like discovering the details of ancient lives lost in time.” There’s a definite sense that something latent and primordial is being summoned – yet the full extent of its power is cloaked in mystery.
In an unintentional parallel, the album that III most resembles is Portishead’s majestic Third, which creates and inhabits its own haunted space. Where Moonchy & Tobias differ is in employing a more rustic approach to songcraft, while still evoking an exquisite sense of atmosphere. There’s an undeniable melancholy across these 12 tracks, but it never feels cloying, instead leavened by a poised theatricality and sense of play. The midnight hour has a new transportive soundtrack.
The music of Moonchy & Tobias is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
New Moonchy & Tobias Single and Music Video
Hidden Shoal and Tiny Room Records are proud to present ‘Sericum’, the first single from Moonchy & Tobias III, the new album by Moonchy & Tobias. The album sees release on the 30th October 2020. Stream the single on SoundCloud and check out the accompanying music video on YouTube. More on Moonchy & Tobias here.On their third collaborative album, vocalist Pat Moonchy and multi-instrumentalist/producer Todd Tobias delve deeper into the shadowy recesses of their intoxicating sound, creating an immersive soundtrack to our most uncanny nightmares. Moonchy’s primal vocals, mostly sung in Latin, thread through Tobias’s nocturnal atmospheres like smoke. As Moonchy explains, “When I sing in Latin it feels like discovering the details of ancient lives lost in time.” There’s a definite sense that something latent and primordial is being summoned – yet the full extent of its power is cloaked in mystery.
In an unintentional parallel, the album that III most resembles is Portishead’s majestic Third, which creates and inhabits its own haunted space. Where Moonchy & Tobias differ is in employing a more rustic approach to songcraft, while still evoking an exquisite sense of atmosphere. There’s an undeniable melancholy across these 12 tracks, but it never feels cloying, instead leavened by a poised theatricality and sense of play. The midnight hour has a new transportive soundtrack.
The music of Moonchy & Tobias is available for licensing (film, tv, web and more) via Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
New Moonchy & Tobias Music Video
We’re excited to present the music video for ‘Lo Sguardo’ from Moonchy & Tobias. The track is lifted from Atmosfere, the stunning second album by the cross-continental art-rock duo. The video, produced by Budano Lino, is available now via YouTube. Atmosfere is out through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal and is available via Bandcamp and all the usual suspects including Spotify.“A journey through the most diverse, beautiful musical landscapes” – Dark Life Experience on Moonchy & Tobias
After the exhilarating psychedelic ride of their acclaimed debut, Moonchy & Tobias’s new album Atmosfere is more subdued and subtly intoxicating. Multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias has crafted a series of bright, labyrinthine soundscapes within which vocalist Pat Moonchy luxuriantly weaves. While the songs on their debut were sung in an imaginary language, here Moonchy sings in her native Italian. Atmosfere feels like a sun-dappled morning after Moonchy & Tobias’s intoxicating dark night of the soul. It’s the perfect companion – but also a succinct and compelling stand-alone that is as beautiful as it is mysterious.
As always this music is available for licensing for film, tv, games and more through Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
Moonchy & Tobias “Atmosfere” Album and New Video Release
Atmosfere, the stunning second album by art-rock duo Moonchy & Tobias has now officially entered the world. The album is out now through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal and is available via Bandcamp and all the usual suspects including Spotify. To coincide with the release we also have the wonderful new music video by Italian artist Alice Murace for the album track ‘Pioggia e sale’. Stream the video via YouTube.“A journey through the most diverse, beautiful musical landscapes” – Dark Life Experience on Moonchy & Tobias
After the exhilarating psychedelic ride of their acclaimed debut, Moonchy & Tobias’s new album Atmosfere is more subdued and subtly intoxicating. Multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias has crafted a series of bright, labyrinthine soundscapes within which vocalist Pat Moonchy luxuriantly weaves. While the songs on their debut were sung in an imaginary language, here Moonchy sings in her native Italian. Atmosfere feels like a sun-dappled morning after Moonchy & Tobias’s intoxicating dark night of the soul. It’s the perfect companion – but also a succinct and compelling stand-alone that is as beautiful as it is mysterious.
As always this music is available for licensing for film, tv, games and more through Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →New Moonchy & Tobias Single from “Atmosfere”
We’re excited to present the second single from Atmosfere, the forthcoming second album by art-rock duo Moonchy & Tobias. On ‘Dall’Occhio’ (Italian for ‘from the eye’), Moonchy & Tobias’s Atmosfere reaches its dreamy apex as Tobias’s chiming guitar arpeggios and Moonchy’s haunting vocal sound as if they’re emanating from a submarine underworld, bubbling up to the surface in search of redemption.The album will see release on the 18th of October 2019 through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal with pre-orders available now. ‘Dall’Occhio’ can be streamed now over via SoundCloud.“A journey through the most diverse, beautiful musical landscapes” – Dark Life Experience on Moonchy & Tobias
After the exhilarating psychedelic ride of their acclaimed debut, Moonchy & Tobias’s new album Atmosfere is more subdued and subtly intoxicating. Multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias has crafted a series of bright, labyrinthine soundscapes within which vocalist Pat Moonchy luxuriantly weaves. While the songs on their debut were sung in an imaginary language, here Moonchy sings in her native Italian. Atmosfere feels like a sun-dappled morning after Moonchy & Tobias’s intoxicating dark night of the soul. It’s the perfect companion – but also a succinct and compelling stand-alone that is as beautiful as it is mysterious.
As always this music is available for licensing for film, tv, games and more through Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
New Moonchy & Tobias Single & Music Video – Atmosfere
We’re excited to present the first single and title track from Atmosfere, the forthcoming second album by art-rock duo Moonchy & Tobias. The album will see release on the 18th of October 2019 through Tiny Room Records and Hidden Shoal. Check out beautiful music video for ‘Atmosfere’ over at YouTube and stream the track on SoundCloud.“A journey through the most diverse, beautiful musical landscapes” – Dark Life Experience on Moonchy & Tobias
After the exhilarating psychedelic ride of their acclaimed debut, Moonchy & Tobias’s new album Atmosfere is more subdued and subtly intoxicating. Multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias has crafted a series of bright, labyrinthine soundscapes within which vocalist Pat Moonchy luxuriantly weaves. While the songs on their debut were sung in an imaginary language, here Moonchy sings in her native Italian. Atmosfere feels like a sun-dappled morning after Moonchy & Tobias’s intoxicating dark night of the soul. It’s the perfect companion – but also a succinct and compelling stand-alone that is as beautiful as it is mysterious.
As always this music is available for licensing for film, tv, games and more through Hidden Shoal.
Continue reading →
The World of Dust “Samsara” Out Now (Vinyl, CD, Digital)
The day has finally come! Samsara, the utterly brilliant collaboration between Dutch slowcore dream-pop artist The World of Dust’s Stefan Breuer and Todd Tobias (Guided by Voices, Robert Pollard, Circus Devils) has now officially entered the world. The album is available now in vinyl, CD and digital formats via Tiny Room Records in collaboration with Hidden Shoal. Also don’t forget to check out the wonderful new music video for single, ‘Tarot’.Samsara is effectively a full-length collaboration between The World of Dust’s Stefan Breuer and Todd Tobias (Guided by Voices, Robert Pollard, Circus Devils). Previously contributing keyboard arrangements for 2015’s World of Dust album Womb Realm, Tobias created all the instrumental backdrops for Samsara’s evocative songs. A shadowy universe of forlorn beauty, this lo-fi bedroom pop experiment is shrouded in elemental imagery and laden with ennui. Intimate and wistful, Samsara mines a similarly rich emotive seam to Norwegian slowcore legends The White Birch.
The process for Samsara saw Tobias send Breuer 26 instrumental ideas, from which Breuer chose those which resonated with him most. Over the course of nearly two years, Breuer wrote and refined an especially personal suite of lyrics, reflecting his struggles with his mental health and his experience of becoming a father. The result is World of Dust’s most fully realised and vivid album to date.
All tracks from Samsara as well as the music of Todd Tobias is available for licensing for film, tv, web, games and beyond via Hidden Shoal. Check here for more info.
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Reviews
Moonchy & Tobias ‘Foglia di Te’ Reviewed at Tonic Grain
“The duo of vocalist Pat Moonchy and instrumentalist Todd Tobias have released the magical EP “Venus Mirror” that includes a stunning track called “Foglia di Te.”
The song title translates from Italian as “Tea Leaf,” and it features beautiful lyrics and an immersive, fairytale-like soundscape. The tender guitar and careful rhythm section accompany the listener along the way. The enchanting synths create a fantastic, cinematic atmosphere. And the lovely vocals unfold in the most delicate, spellbinding performance.”Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reviewed at Keys and Chords
” ‘When I sing in Latin it feels like discovering the details of ancient lives lost in time.’ A statement by the Italian vocalist Pat Moonchy and representative of the overwhelming atmosphere on the third album. Together with the American multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias, the duo conjures up theatrical images drenched in melancholy and darkness. The use of the dead language Latin accentuates antiquity and impermanence.
For Pat Moonchy, this collaboration is one of many to test out her classical singing qualities. Under the name Sothiac, the emphasis was more on thin soundscapes and avant-garde in duo with Paul Jolly (sax and bass). It is therefore nice to hear her in more accessible projects such as with Todd Tobias. A versatile musician and not averse to ambient and psychedelic trance. Menacing soundscapes, oracle vocals and smearing of the vocal cords make Moonchy & Tobias III the ideal soundtracks for horror movies, crime scenes, theater or even experimental dance.
Let your own imagination work! ”
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reviewed at MPodia
“III is the title of the new album by the American multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias and the Italian singer Pat Moonchy. It is already the third album in just under three years of this collaboration.
Cinematic soundscapes
They both have their own solo careers in quite different genres; where Tobias moves more in the Rock genre, we often find Pat Moonchy in the somewhat dark Ambient corner. Still, the two have been able to complement each other perfectly since the self-titled debut from 2018 and this is already their third album. From the first notes we are transported into those Ambient-like, psychedelic soundscapes that sound almost spooky. It is striking that Pat often opts for the Latin language, which is really very unusual. It gives the already mysterious songs an even darker and more authentic. She herself says: “ When I sing in Latin it feels like discovering the details of ancient lives lost in time. ” Songs like ‘Portus’, ‘Dies Festus’ and ‘Dubium’ evoke almost cinematic images that are drenched in melancholy. If a highlight has to be mentioned, it will be between ‘Petali Caduti’ or ‘Limbi’.Final Verdict
III is an album for the experienced listener. Especially the combination of the sometimes somewhat neoclassical sounding Pat Moonchy and the electronic Ambient-like soundscapes provide an enchanting listening experience. Maybe a bit experimental, but by no means your average album and definitely an album for anyone who wants to listen something “out of the box”. Have fun listening!”– MPodia
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reviewed at Music Won’t Save You
(Translated via Google)
“The partnership of the Milanese experimental vocalist Pat Moonchy with the multifaceted orchestrator of alienating atmospheres Todd Tobias is now a stable partnership . On the third album in the space of two years, the ambitious artistic duo continues on the track traced by the previous “ Atmosfere ” (2019), filling sound environments with spectral contours with evocative harmonic contents.
The choice of Latin as the prevailing language of Moonchy’s vocal evolutions undoubtedly contributes to amplifying the mysterious density of the twelve short snapshots that make up the work, as never before solemn and hieratic, which raise invocations of persuasive restlessness to a night sky, such as the one shown on the cover, between whose menacing shadows are visible diaphanous moon rays. Although largely dotted with dark frequencies and synthetic currents of increasing tension, Tobias’s textures not only reveal atmospheric vapors of surprising warmth but also retract to enhance marked piano lines, on which Moonchy’s declamations are clothed with pronounced lyricism (” Sericum ”,“ Dies Festus ”).
In just over half an hour, the two musicians therefore offer new proof of alchemy which, with extreme naturalness, unites their expressive worlds, manifesting itself in a surreal gallery of sounds and visions with a dark charm.”
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reviewed at Subjectivisten
(Translated via Google)
“The power and beauty of the micro label is regularly proven by the quirky Tiny Room Records. They know how to bring out wonderful unique music, which others do not have an eye or ear for. A very nice example is the duo Moonchy & Tobias. These debut on the label in 2018 with their eponymous album, albeit written in Japanese. It brings together two special artists, namely vocalist Pat Moonchy (Sothiac, Doubleganger, One Lip 5, Pat Moonchy Trio, Tai No-Orchestra) and the American multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias (4 Coyotes, Brother Earth, Clouds Forming Crowns, Circus Devils (with Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices), Ricked Wicky, Psycho And The Birds). And in addition, both have also released solo albums. Moonchy often moves in the experimental, dark ambient, avant-garde and noise angle,while Tobias prefers more psychedelic and adventurous rock. As a duo they form a completely magical and mysterious combination, which is also from their second albumAtmosfere (2019) emerges again. Now they are back with their third release Moonchy & Tobias III . The music has become a kaleidoscopic mix of neoclassical, dark ambient, avant-garde and psychedelia. Moonchy’s vocals, somehow reminiscent of Chinese, are somewhere between Phew and Louisa Lilani (from John Prop… does anyone even remember these classy ones?). Musically you have references such as Mi And L’Au, The Caretaker, Cranes, Dead Can Dance and Portishead , although they never quite cover what this pair brings here. In conclusion, you can safely say that you are certainly not dealing with an average combo. What a great, versatile and mesmerizing album!”
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reveiwed at Here Comes The Flood
“Ohio based experimentalist Todd Tobias and Italian avant-garde singer Pat Moonchy go in at the deep end on their third album, taking cues from Portishead’s lauded Third. A sense of foreboding is eminent inn the soundscapes and by using Latin it could be mistaken for a gospel record, albeit one where art is the thing that offers mankind comfort and a sense for beauty.
Most of the tracks move slowly – Frangit inches forward at snail’s pace – making Moonchy & Tobias III a listening experience that is an oasis in a sped-up world wherein everything is moving so fast that details and nuances are lost. This music is best experienced in solitude wearing a set of premium headphones.”
Continue reading →“Moonchy & Tobias III” Reviewed at Louder Than War
“This is the third record from ex GBV man, Todd Tobias and Italian chanteuse Pat Moonchy, and it’s possibly their best.
Moonchy & Tobias III is certainly the perfect soundtrack to these discombobulating times. Soundtracking the vacuum with their elegant psychodramas, things start off as they mean to go on with the mini opera of ‘Dubium’; Pat Moonchy’s suggestive vocal swoops (doubtless played for maximum effect) give extra tension to the strange rhythmic pattern that both backdrops and propels the piece.
Second track ‘Petali Caduti’ is also driven in a notable way, this time by a glorious stomping beat – is a voyage through a strange landscape. The audio version of a Dora Carrington painting? It could well be so. Third track ‘Sericum’ (Silk) is the poppiest and most fully developed of the tracks, part 80s Goth pop, part modern classical tidbit. You get the feeling that the more standard structure of ‘Sericum’ is a gateway moment, allowing the LP to explore other pastures later on. It’s not a reversion to a “state of normal” though, far from it. We have some lyrics in the booklet, as proof: “the silk of affluence/bites the young lovers”…
By now you should get the picture. Mystery and mood are our guides. Many of the tracks on Moonchy & Tobias III are presented mythically, as if coloured slides in a magic lantern. Also, the subtle rhythms and changes of tempo in each piece – and the ever-changing vocal conceits adopted by Moonchy – give the listening experience a peculiarly weightless quality. Whilst listening to tracks like the ‘Frangit’, which like to play compressed sounds off against soaring vocals, it’s like being submerged in the rhythms of the tide. This idea of listening to the sound of an ever-evolving dream, or midnight swim is accentuated by the cover; the moon appearing through clouds. Consequently, the listener could maybe feel unable, or unwilling, to escape this huge, dark, mysterious netherworld that slowly builds up around them. Piranesian, even? Maybe.
But don’t think Moonchy & Tobias III is an exercise in making a sugar-coated dystopia. The record is an arresting listen and an experience to be grabbed and shaped by the listener. There are some killer cuts to hold on to in this shadowland. ‘Petali Caduti’ is one, and ‘Limbi’ is definitely another; a gloriously vampish track given form by the rich operatic vocals, especially those jumps up and down the scale. Once or twice things become like Cocteau Twins’ glorious sleepathon Victorialand, especially ‘Dies Festus’, ‘Dum’ and ‘Unum’ which are all gently rocked – if not tucked up in bed – by slow, softly-pressed piano passages.
I think they should give David Lynch a ring without delay.”
Continue reading →Moonchy & Tobias “Atmosfere” Reviewed at African Paper
(Translated via Google)
“Anyone who plays “Atmosfere” and is at least partially familiar with the previous work by Pat Moonchy and Todd Tobias could feel confused for a while and ask whether he or she may have sold out in the record cabinet. What echoes at you is far from shrill voice experiments in artful fantasy languages and from raw psychedelics collaged according to original contrasts.
Instead, you listen to the nice guitar picking and mid-tempo drumming of a relaxed folk song that slowly turns into a subtle rock ballad. Even with slightly breathy singing, one becomes suspicious and initially thinks that Linda Perhacs (or Lisa Ekdahl, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sarah June …) has learned Italian. Only gradually, in the hoarse breath of nostalgia of “La Sguerdo”, one recognizes Moonchy in the tremolation of her voice, which this time is only slightly used, which is cherished by silk ribbons and kept from breaking out. Now there is movement in the songs, which unfold their charisma more and more. It speaks of the lascivious funkyness of “Occasione”, of the varied singing, which in “In Tasca” lies over atmospheric ballad strumming and repeatedly tilts into eccentric inclines,from the hypnotic Appreggios of the fragile “Dall ‘Occhio”.
The atmosphere that is sung about and evoked in “Atmosfere” is of a sepia-colored nostalgia and is perfect for filling a stylishly furnished café – the effect would, however, be viral, which would give the cosiness a subtle refraction that would be barely perceptible to the inattentive. The friendly pop appeal has a double bottom that cannot be missing from two avant-garde artists who only seem to deny their roots.”
Continue reading →Moonchy & Tobias “Atmosfere” Reviewed at hifi.nl
[Translated via Google]
“Atmosfere is the second album that multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias releases together with Pat Moonchy via the Utrecht record label Tiny Room Records. In just half an hour the duo gives a rather unusual, dreamy look into a surreal world that somehow feels pleasant to the listener.
Todd Tobias is no stranger anymore. The fifty-year-old from Ohio, USA has gained international fame not only for his own work but also for his role within the band Guided By Voices and his work with Robert Pollard. Pat Moonchy, a born Italian, is less well-known in our country, but still has a good record of merit. She is half of the experimental band Sothiac, plays in duos alongside trombonist Angelo Contini and jazzdrumer Lino Liguori, is a member of the Tai-No Orchestra and not to mention German krautrock pioneers Faust.
After the self-titled debut of Moonchy & Tobias (which was released via Tiny Room and Hidden Shoal in 2018), the duo puts down a more balanced and unambiguous whole on Atmosfere. Instead of using fictional language, Moonchy sings in her native language. In fact, she takes on a leading role, because although the modest playing style of Todd Tobias creates tension and atmosphere, there is an all-determining vocal style on the album. The childish, almost Asian-looking voice of Pat takes some getting used to, but gives the twelve short tracks a unique sound and experience.
Atmospheric is full of influences of the present and the past. Occasione sounds rather retro, with a nod to the seventies when it comes to the musical interpretation. Velo is again pure contemporary folk, while a song like Dall’Occhio has dreamy pop influences with a “trippy” undertone and the vocals are sometimes even filled in with voices. Modesty, small compositions and even a kind of intimacy are terms that recur on my notebook. And that is perhaps also the best description for this work. Unfortunately not all tracks are equally convincing and sometimes the duo seems to be looking for coherence individually. I suspect that the recordings were not made in the same studio. In addition, the header voice that Moonchy occasionally uses is not entirely pure or pleasant to listen to.
Still, Moonchy & Tobias manage to deliver a fairly unique album with Atmosfere. Partly thanks to the conscious choice to draw the listener’s attention to the somewhat alienating, intimate Italian vocals with relatively little trimmings and rather elongated, repetitive melody lines. As if on vacation you get a reading from the diary of your host’s daughter’s daughter, where you can read everything from the childish emotion transmission without understanding the words. You feel a bit uncomfortable and at the same time kind of honored that it is shared with you.
All this makes Atmosfere a strange duck, which is further enhanced by the way in which some tracks end. Open, namely. The sound is appropriate, although the dynamics vary per track. A conscious choice, presumably. The second album from Moonchy & Tobias is really one for a select group and also offers room for development in the future. Yet this can be a nice discovery for those drizzly days that we can call winter in our country.”
– Hifi NL
Continue reading →Moonchy & Tobias “Atmosfere” Reviewed at Keys and Chords
[Translated via Google]
“The neopsyched indie rock duo Moonchy & Tobias was founded in 2018. The Italian Pat Moonchy sings, while the American Todd Tobias provides the music on all kinds of instruments. This is their second album, after their debut in 2018. Moonchy is half of the experimental band Sothiac, plays in duos alongside trombonist Angelo Contini and jazz drummer Lino Liguori, but also in the Tai-No Orchestra, and with the German krautrock pioneers Faust . Tobias has been working with Robert Pollard (Guides by Voices) for a long time and delivered the music for Pollard’s voice in the freak rock trio Circus Devils. He also released a number of instrumental albums, and a duet album with Chloe March. On this new disc they bring 12 short tracks, some instrumental, others sung again. Moonchy sings in Italian, sometimes sounds rarefied, and it all feels like dreamy pop. Atmospheric and somewhat mysterious is the best description for it.”
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Todd Tobias’s music is available for licensing (master & sync cleared) through Hidden Shoal. Please contact us with some basic details about your project and the track(s) you wish to use and we’ll be sure to get back to you straight away.