Juho Toivonen - Lapsikuninkaan Fanfaari LP

Juho Toivonen is one of those names whose reputation seems to precede me hearing his actual records. First as the head honcho of the ever-intriguing AKTI imprint, but also as an artist whose solo work has been recommended to me by numerous well trusted friends (and whose last record on a Discreet-associated imprint sold out so quickly here that I missed out on hearing it!)

Listening to his latest this morning, I can’t help but think of it as dreamlike or surreal. One could say hypnogogic but that carries with it a ton of baggage. This is by no means a retro throwback, nor is it in the space of dubwise pop that that term seems to suggest now in the 2020s. Rather, this is a collection of varied and murky tracks that veer from minimal piano playing to tape look trickery to muttered vocals to some sort of electro-acoustic composition dotted with folk leaning melodies that feel fitting within the Gothenburg crew (despite Juho hailing from Finland). Beguiling music that seems to uncannily fit together beautifully yet still slip out of grasp. –Mitch