Virtual Crate Digging: Toytronica
Folks are always asking about what’s new and upcoming but, as shown by the vital and venerable culture of crate digging, looking backwards can also yield unexpected results and reveal hidden gems. And boy oh boy do we have some hidden gems. Let’s dig through our virtual bins of vinyl and see what we find.
Childhood Magic With Modern Treatments
While perusing our crates of production music, I discovered a rogue toy box. Within it, a new type of electronic music emerged that I’d never heard of before called Toytronica (DAA-001).
It’s a whimsical world full of playful and maniacal bits of plasticized beats. Fueled by the sounds and stories of your favorite childhood toys, Toytronica combines that uninhibited imagination with electronic bits and treatments. Take a peek inside a chill Japanese dollhouse or witness the arrival of a menacing army of toy soldiers with modern tracks that can be equally dramatic and playful.
“Magic Toys” kicks things off and immediately gave me some serious magical Disney vibes. There’s a moment in Wreck-It Ralph where we see more of the world inside the arcade games, revealing a mass transit system, an accurately inefficient security guard, and a grand central station. This track reminds me of that moment of discovery mixed with a dash of the first Toy Story movie’s organic setting and characters.
Is there anything more powerful to a child who is afraid of the dark than a night light? It keeps any monsters hiding under the bed at bay, summoning the serene sounds of the night as the child drifts off into their exciting world of innocent dreams. “Night Light” perfectly encapsulates that atmosphere with a soft, insistent electronic beat and ethereal choir.
I try not to repeat descriptors, but I keep coming back to “whimsical” to describe these tracks. If you’re looking to add a bit of that innocent magic with a modern feel into your next production, this is an excellent album to begin your search.
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