Life on background is the working concept for Tōsh’s first studio EP. The EP centers around the topics of immigration, race, intersectionality, and belonging in American and global culture.
The tracks tell stories of Tōsh and his immigrant friends, reflect on exclusionary policy in the US, and voice hopes for the future.
The music spans indie-electronica, melodic house, and post-classical genres.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3vlObhLzGDWZkK2O0bh8bG?si=fb68976b1e1b414c
The A-side of the EP will be a set of Spotify focused tracks for home listening. The name is inspired by the notion that Asians and people of color are often background characters in America and the western world.
| Working title | Concept | Working draft | Genre | Mood | Sound palette | Inspo tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belonging | Layered voices talking about experiences with immigration and integration. Lyrical content in chorus | Electronica | Melancholy, optimism | Synthy, driving, carefully processed vocals. Layered vocals turn into the sound of a crowded room. Wide panned vocals for unison statement | Loud Places - Jamie xx | |
| Hates me - George Fitzgerald | ||||||
| Fred again… | ||||||
| Tunis | Mehdi’s story about growing up queer in Tunisia | Indie-electronica | Melancholy | Mehdi’s vocals front and center, not 4 on the floor | I need a forest fire - James Blake | |
| Drown me slow - Christian Cole | ||||||
| Hindustan | Inspired by Indian classical music and featuring musicians in India. Tied to my heritage | Electronica | Uplifting | Polyrythmic percussion, not 4 on floor, raag scale | Final days - Bonobo | |
| Fred again… | ||||||
| Disentangled | Solo piano piece. Video with solo piano + solo dancer shot in beautiful coastal location | https://youtu.be/JDuyag_XmeI | Post-classical | Melancholy | Piano + textural ambiance | Nils Frahm |
| Hania Rani | ||||||
| Olafur Arnalds |
The B-side of the EP will be a set of 4 on the floor club focused tracks for dance floors. The name is a quote from LBJ’s speech on the Immigration act of 1965 stating that America is a land built by people from 100 different places or more.
| Working title | Concept | Working draft | Genre | Mood | Sound palette | Inspo tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whom we shall welcome | Sample of LBJ’s speech on Immigration Act of 1965. Named after the presidential report from 1952 commissioned to analyze immigration policy | https://soundcloud.com/toshbeats/whom-we-shall-welcome/s-J1K8bBs18oc | Melodic house | Uplifting | Sample of LBJ’s speech on Immigration Act of 1965 | Keinemusik |
| George Fitzgerald | ||||||
| Jamie xx | ||||||
| Dream what I dream | Spoken word about the world I wish to exist | https://soundcloud.com/toshbeats/dreams/s-kZRCAwNhLwA | Detroit house | Uplifting | Spoken word. Interesting sound design. Very groovy and dance focused | |
| Third culture kid | Track with amalgamation of India, Hong Kong, Japan, UK, US culture | Melodic house | Uplifting | Vocals. UK breakbeat x jazz x indian scale? | Flight facilities | |
| George Fitzgerald | ||||||
| Red Axes | ||||||
| Keinemusik | ||||||
| Fred again… | ||||||
| Disentangled (synthesized) | Rework of disentangled but synthesized with a 4 on the floor beat | Post-classical | Melancholy | Midi from disentangled, synthesizers, 4 on floor beat | Analog guy in a digital world - Martin Roth | |
| Perpetual motion - Max cooper | ||||||
| All armed - Nils Frahm |