Tonny Flex – Electric Orchards EP

My spelling has got me into trouble, many times. So before you ask, yes, Tonny is spelt with two n’s.

Danish singer Tonny Flex (Mathias Samsing) introduces himself to the soulful musical world with the release of his debut five-track EP, Electric Orchards.

The EP’s first track The Moment, opens with a thoroughly enticing, deep cosmic beat. Delightfully mellow and smooth it jars into life with a chorus that seems aggressive and at odds with the fine entrance. This contrast can work, however, it feels like it missed a mark here which is a shame.

Track #2 It’s True is hands down, and without doubt, the best track on this debut EP. Previously released as a single Tonny sings his soulful best on this well-produced track. See the video here.

Swedish band Artymove recently proved you can combine a wide range of musical influences and produce an album full of variation, however, it’s not a skill easily mastered, especially when listening to a complete project.

Like ordering a flame-grilled Steak and getting a tofu salad instead – the unexpected takes time to adjust to.

An example of this is the next track #3 I Got The Blues.

This single not only changes in style but the level in lyrical and musical standards slips as an electronic dance beat pumps away. Somehow you wish it climbed into the full-on dance floor track it had the potential to be.

Excitingly, track #4 The Drums begins with a clever, futuristic ’vocal duet’, and we hear the creative electronic notes reminiscent of ’Prince’s’ legendary vibe. However, the track ends abruptly and leaves you with 15 sec of silence. This enforced space only lead me to a feeling of frustration as I discovered the songs hadn’t actually ended.

The music returns to round off the EP with the title track – Electric Orchards. This song is dark and slow-burning with echoes of a ‘Blade Runneresque’ electronic arrangement. Maybe the EP’s title, Electric Orchards is in relation to the original title of Blade Runner  – ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ by Philip K Dick. Tonny’s vocals sadly fail to reach the heights of this classic film as his vocal notes stray midway through, and quite frankly, shockingly so.

As the track ends I’m left with the image of Rutger Huger sitting in the rain, head bowed as his heart slowly stops beating.

Not sure this sad, and dare I say depressing, image was how Tonny envisaged the EP would end but it’s cinematic nonetheless.

This is only the start of Tonny Flex’s journey, and as I know too well, onne can’t get everything right at the start.