Toby has launched a new album, his third. a blend of cultural sounds, instruments and ambient effects, the DJ describes it as ‘a voyage’, writes Annaliza Borg of The Malta Independent.

Travelling Without Moving is a chillout/ambient album, but the artist has also remained faithful to the electronic beat sounds we have become accustomed to in his music and on his popular radio shows on 897 Bay.

The music is a collection of voices from around the world: Africa, Mongolia, Tibet, Arabia, India and a touch of Gregorian chanting, as well as vocals and instrumental sounds from Malta and Gozo. In fact, he explained, the raison d’etre behind this album was to promote his work as a Maltese musician and producer, together with our sounds and scenery, to foreigners and Maltese alike.

“They will discover a new perspective to our country, its hidden treasures blended with other soundtracks from around the world,” he said.

VARIED SOUNDS

Listening to the album one can play an interesting game trying to identify the several instruments, including traditional drums, guitars, saxophone, bass, flutes, pipes and pianos as well as the various other rain sticks, pots, pans and traditional sounds.

The songs also feature live recordings and sounds of the sea at Ramla l- Hamra, a chapel in Ghasri, Gozo, the wind blowing at Dingli Cliffs, children in a school playground in Rabat and raindrops falling  in Cirkewwa, blended together with the sounds of folk and electronic instruments. You feel like you’re being taken on a journey around Malta, and then beyond while sitting comfortably in your home – unless you’re swaying to the music outdoors with friends that is.

Track three of the album, the title track, features Victorio Gauci from the band The Crowns and includes the lyric “You don’t’ have to leave to be in a better place”, while track six, titled Mitluf (the Maltese word for lost) features Marilyn from Cruz who intones: "Everyone gets lost, the choice to return is yours”.

Track seven, Andrew Mattered (featuring saxophonist Andrew Pullicino) is dedicated to a friend of Toby’s, Andrew Martin, who tragically passed away on 7 October 2011 at the age of 38. The poignant lyric “Be there for a friend today, he might not be here tomorrow,” clearly frames Toby’s state of mind as he was putting this work together.

ALBUM HISTORY

Toby’s debut album Journey beyond the Sun, which was released in 2003, was a more melodic trance project. It won of the Best Album Award at the Malta DJ Awards that year, and two songs from it were chosen by EMI UK to be included on a compilation called Euphoria distributed worldwide.

His second album, titled Digi kinda life came out in 2006, exploring a ‘dirtier electronic’ sound. The album hit number one on Exotique’s Top 40 list in just two weeks and sold over 3000 copies in Malta. It featured hit songs such as Get up, nominated for the Best Dance Song award at the Bay Music Awards 2007 and winner of the Best Dance Song award at the Malta Music Awards 2007; Radiolized which featured Sean Grech of the band Syrup – nominated for Best Dance Song at the BMAs in 2007) and Cover your eyes, featuring Niki Gravino, which won the Viewers’ Choice Award at the BMAs in 2009.

Toby describes his latest offering as a more mature personal achievement, as it brings together his childhood inspirations and the instruments he learnt to play on over the years. Throughout the years, the artist has been influenced by diverse artists such as The Police, The Eagles, Mike Oldfield and Jean Michel Jarre thanks to his dad’s record collection. In his teens Toby was a fan of Metallica, Dream Theater, Café Del Mar, and Enigma, one of his all time favourites. Nowadays he listens to a lot of dance, electronic and chillout music and loves producers such as Deadmau5, Chicane, and Michael Woods. Yet his all time favourite producer remains Michael Cretu of Enigma.

HIGH QUALITY

The collaborators on Travelling without Moving can also boast of some high standards: Victorio sings for The Crowns, who won a Best Newcomer Bay Music Award; Marilyn of Cruz (winners of a Best Newcomer award at the Malta Music Awards and a Bay Band Award); while Kristina Casolani had won a Best Female Artist award at the BMAs.

The album’s cover features artistic photographs of hidden locations around Malta and Gozo by David ‘Dp’ Attard, who is noted for his shots of musicians as well as for his perfectionist attitude. This, Toby points out, has brought added inspiration to his own vision for the album.

Besides targeting his usual followers and new listeners from the younger generation, Toby said he is hoping to bring chillout electronic music to a more mature audience with this offering.

Since the style of this new offering is very different from that of his previous albums, side projects and releases, he has found that is not what the record labels he usually works with will go for; however, he has been contacted by Chillout Labels who are interested in publishing and marketing the album overseas. Hopefully, this will result in sales that will not only cement Toby’s reputation as a highly talented electronic artist who is not afraid to explore new territory, but also bring a little bit of the experience that is Malta and Gozo to whoever is listening on foreign shores.

‘Travelling without moving’ is available from: Expressions – Sliema, Activision – Swieqi, Exotique – Sliema, Exotique – Bay Street, Energy – Valletta, Arcadia – Gozo and Inspire – Bulebel/Marsascala. €1 from each album sold will go to Inspire Foundation which works with disabled people.