The music on Toby Tesla’s latest EP is effervescent and light. Showcasing the acclaimed hip hop artist’s lyrical prowess and musical vision, the simplistic pieces of alt and rap pop on .FIVE are rewarding, groovy, and endlessly chill.
A Peruvian American artist based in Phoenix, Arizona, Toby Tesla crafts pieces of intricate and direct, electrified and synthetic hip hop that are quick to get to the point, often in a minimal, chic fashion that makes the pieces like nuggets that are easy to digest.
Having been making music for the better part of a decade, Toby Tesla is fully aware of how to craft a catchy hook or an infectious groove. With his lyrical themes and his pulling deliveries, the songs on .FIVE are like sketches making use of really bold brush strokes. The synthetic drums are delightfully robotic and hypnotizing, the synth pads are usually serene and encapsulating, and the leads are mostly soft and easy to follow.
The starter ‘DONE FAST’ is an apt display of what Tesla does best. The cyclic synth leads are caramel sweet and smooth and the puffy beat creates a sensational groove in this short-of-2-minutes album starter. ‘DRIVEWAY’ showcases Toby Tesla’s minimal approach. Opting to play around with his vocal rhythms and chops, the music is composed of a beat that’s simple enough, and a synth lead that’s rounded and civil, playing a consistent part throughout the song, basically unaccompanied.
‘COLLECTOR’ is perhaps a more conventional piece of ambient hip hop. With Tesla’s delivery more tangible and melodic than before, less lulled and more sung, ‘COLLECTOR’ is an enjoyable and groovy piece that features an unforgettable pair of synth hooks. ‘IN MY WAY’ features a ground shaking subbass on top of its impeccable grooves that pave the way for the rapid -but gentle- fire of ‘DON’T BOTHER ME’, by far the EP’s most vocally involved and challenging cut.
Toby Tesla’s music displays his long experience and a confident musical persona. An artist who’s not buying into the trends, yet comfortably living inside of them, wholly embracing a style of music that’s so naturally in fashion nowadays. .FIVE is a fantastic collection of musical sketches that showcase one of the more outstanding indie rappers and producers around.