Tim Koch

While much of our electronic product assumes kudos from frigid, obscure sounds and carcinogenic beats, this offering is gaga over soaring melodies and heated repetition. Never does Isolated Rhythm Chock get piggy with your attention, more subtly imbibing your body with its frequent symphonic murmur. It's saucy, swaying electronica like this that holds its own because of the modesty and coy sensibilities it employs. The momentum of the album is all over the shop, but this serves to up the surprise ante. Just when strings are moaning hard, your audio rug is pulled from under you and there's rapid-fire bass squelching or hard-stepping to contend with. Some of Thug's music is sad (Dolphin) - while melodies moan beats crawl to a delicious depressing halt. But there's a lot of bouncing around to be had on most of the tracks, even if it is high-end tech or repeated machinations that seem to inhabit a space between two points in time (Obatem). Sound utterly pretentious? On paper, yeah. But listen and it all makes sense. This debut from the 24-year-old Adelaide musician Tim Koch, is nervy and brave. His adoption of the electronic form has paid off. Almost top shelf - Sydney Morning Herald

Even on very good records there can be stand-out tracks, tracks which capture the spirit and sound of the artist and/or the release, that make your hair stand on end, that make your spirits soar. On Tim Koch’s wonderful new record islandtones it is “vakohai”, which features vocals from j. lush. It is a soaring, epic, wonderful piece of electronic mysticism. I first heard it on Triple J, played unexpectedly on the Homegrown program. You know when a song forces its way from background to foreground? Sometimes it happens in a rush as the song leaps out and throttles you. Other times, as with this time, it creeps out of the stereo and slowly envelopes you. Suddenly I couldn’t move, frozen mid-movement as I listened; dazed, awed by what I was listening to. Who is this? It was lush and ambient, slow and sweet. A song for lazy wanderings and twilight hours, for the outpouring of the heart and stillness of the moment. Honestly, this is how it made me feel that first time I heard it, and continues to make me feel every time I play it. But it’s by no means the only track to move me.

On islandtones Tim is showcasing the ambient and mellow side of his sound. It’s all epic sound-scapes layered over sometimes-frantic beats, with deep-throbbing or lilting and uplifting melodies. It’s emotive and magical stuff, the soundtrack to another world. Close your eyes and you’re there, floating on warm air breezes, rendered as light as a feather, as open as the sky. The album should be listened to in one go, as a whole piece, a single story, to be fully appreciated. - www.vibewire.net

However it is the comic inspiration of the energetic and dance friendly Lull to the happy and saccharine charm of the inappropriately named Tsunami Bros.ii [this being the Barry Handler mix of the earlier version in '98 ]. Whilst conversely Meat Lovers Interlude and the recent My_Document are weird and bizarre in their lack of any sort of track structure. The sublime and captivating conclusion to the album includes the inspirationally ambient symphonics of Binoce and Themaxa. The only other track circa 2000 is the interesting Obatem by Night, full of dark and conflicting sounds it seems to reflect many of the themes of My_Document. But for me the highlights of the album are the cute and bewildering I Split My Etnies and the superlative The Generalist, complete with its growling animal sounds and dolphin samples.Throughout Tim Koch's latest release you will find plenty to keep you entertained and enthused about the potential of electronic art. - www.dbmagazine.com.au