TOY PLANET (WITH BRUNO SPOERRI)

This is a remarkable instrumental progressive electronic album, actually one of the best. It's done by Irmin on keyboards and electronics, and Bruno Spoerri, saxophone and probably also the odd electronic sound thrown in. There are two main aspects to this album., atmospheric sound landscapes with some rhythm and structure but also meditative qualities, and occasionally uplifting circus/variete-like melodies over straight rhythms in The Seven Game (a marvellous opener bringing all the main elements of this album together), Two Dolphins Go Dancing, and Yom Tov (with Klezmer influence). This makes for a very unique overall impression. The atmospheric tracks make some use of sampled sounds and come generally with a lot of life, moving and colourful, even though in particular Toy Planet and Rapido de Noir evoke tension and mystery. Irmin uses the latest sound generators here that could bring far more warmth and human touch into the sound than what was on offer in the seventies, and the saxophone is a surprise welcome addition to the electronic sound and adds a light relaxed element. Irmin also throws in some of his background as an academically educated composer (Stockhausen student). The album is a joy, never predictable, and throws ideas left, right, and center at the listener. I got this maybe a year after it came out, and it still feels as fresh as it did back then.

This is really a jewel in the crown of Irmin's work. A pity only that he hardly ever (except in some isolated soundtrack tracks) followed up on this style.