Tosca is an electronic act from Austria, headed by Richard Dorfmeister, familiar to many as one half of Kruder & Dorfmeister. K&D were one of the biggest names in dance music in the last decade or so; their "K&D Sessions" album was a seminal release.
Apparently Kruder & Dorfmeister aren't working together anymore, so D has turned his attention back to Tosca, who actually released their first album in 1994. No Hassle is their fifth album, and that name certainly suits it.
Released in 2009, I only heard of it the other day but was instantly smitten by its sound and approach. I've always liked "chill out" music (but I hate that term), downtempo, laid back - whatever you want to call it. Everything from Air onwards is good for me, even such Air-alikes as Zero 7. It is wallpaper music basically; just there to fill the air as you settle into a big couch or bean bag, light up, and relax. It warms you up from the inside out.
Nowadays I mostly listen to "chill out" music in my car in the mornings - not the best place to lie back and relax let it be said, but morning time for me is one for ambient vibes, electric pianos, slow beats, strings, hushed female vocals, and nothing that's going to upset my brain. And this album has all of this on offer.
Really, its hard to point anything in particular out as each track blends into the next; a hazy mix of sound, sometimes jazzy, always expertly made and performed. The first three tracks offer no surprises at all, which is exactly what you want from a chill out album; the acoustic guitars on "Elektra Bregenz" remind me of Lemon Jelly, and there was something of note about "Joe Si Ha" but I can't really remember what it is.
But it doesn't really mattter. No hassle, remember?
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