International Observer: Touched

After “Seen” and “Felt” the International Observer (behind which the British producer Tom Baily is hiding, who led the pop band "The Thomson Twins" in the 1980s) is now his third album: "Touched" (Dubmission). Although the name only seems to continue the logic of the series, it was chosen with care, because the tracks on the new album are a collection of remixes - foreign tracks that he has worked on. The collection spans the last 15 years and contains pieces from Black Seeds, the Bombay Dub Orchestra, Banco De Gaia, Pitch Black or Warp Technique - just to name the best known. But despite the heterogeneous origins of the tracks, the album sounds very closed and completely typical of International Observer. Melodic, warm, comfortable beats are his trademark, carefully arranged and balanced down to the last detail. His pieces have an irresistible flow. They flow completely relaxed and yet anything but tension-free. Be it the samples of Indian music in the piece of Bombay Dub Orchestras, the gentle brass sections and accordions in the Pitch Black remix or the vocal samples in the WarpTechniqueDubIt is always these details that accentuate a piece, shape it and guide the listener's attention through the beats. Often it is also tiny scraps of melody from the large reggae fund that provide pleasant déjà vus here (only to leave behind the nagging question: "How do I know this brass section, this vocal fragment?"). In my opinion Tom Baily is one of the most exciting contemporary ones DubProducers. I could definitely use more of his music. On average, an album every three years is simply not enough.