I’ve been stewing on this release for a while now, trying to come up with something profound and unique as I dive into another release by the great Tobias Bernstrup. What can you say about an artist that has mastered every aspect of the craft? What can you say about an artist that has certainly influenced the ideas and outcomes of many great releases over the last decade plus? What can you say about an artist that champions self-expression on a level that transcends the music? What can you say about Tobias Bernstrup? Honestly, I have nothing new, nothing I haven’t said before, nothing but praise and adoration.
For starters we can look into the new album Shadow Dancer. It is another limited vinyl offering in two variants. Two-hundred-and-thirteen on clear vinyl and two-hundred-and-eighteen on black vinyl from Nadanna Records. My expectations are always high for anything Tobias Bernstrup is a part of. I try to never have high expectations of anyone or anything. This is my defense mechanism to never allow myself to be let down. Well my friends, there is no let down here. Everything you would expect from a Tobias Bernstrup release is present and accounted for. The music, the imagery, emotional honesty, lyrical dexterity; all come together in this fine package.
As I moved through the entire LP, every song was just as intriguing as the last. It would be very difficult to pick a favorite which is a good thing I guess. Nobody wants to purchase an LP and have it stuffed with boring uninspired filler. As I previously mentioned, the ability to deliver a complete album stocked with “a ‘Greatest Hits’ feeling from start to finish appears to be easy for Tobias Bernstrup, or at least made to look easy. I’m sure tracking the order of play took some thought, but you could easily start with any track. They all have that lead single vibe which demonstrates the artist’s meticulous approach to the craft.
Let’s explore some of album and answer some of those questions posed earlier in this article. ”Jackie 60” was the first song promoted for Shadow Dancer late last year. It served as a window into the vision Tobias would unleash upon the world. It captures the essence of a calling to live your life your way. A moment of clarity shining on the will to find comfort in being yourself. While self-expression is a theme both visually and lyrically, the music channels a deeper connection to the messages found in the stories between the beats. The design’s end result breaches into the rarified air Tobias finds so easy to breathe. “Breakout” is another track that seems to tell a tale about breaking down the barriers and being yourself regardless of others. It sends an empowering message which most will pick up on as the words are processed. The song pounds away with huge throbbing basslines that remind me of the New Zone style at the end of the 80’s (Lack Of Sense”, “Techno La Droga”). “Chiaroscuro” is another word I had to look up. Besides being a super catchy tune on Shadow Dancer, it is also a style of art that contrasts light and shadow which Leonardo de Vinci dabbled in and Tobias Bernstrup turned it into a theme for this album. I will go out on limb and say just look at the cover for Shadow Dancer, and there’s your introduction to Chiaroscuro.
As for some bonus tracks, check out the digital release and you will find some incredible remixes of “Legend”, “Jackie 60”, “Under A Heavy Strobe Light” and “Chiaroscuro” by Andi, Die Selektion, Harlem, and Kendal.
If I were to go back a look at my previous reviews of Technophobic and PetrichorI may be bouncing around in a room of redundancies and superlatives when it comes to my thoughts on what Tobias Bernstrup does from album to album. There’s never anything bad to say. That doesn’t mean there is nothing new and it comes across as formulaic. I found myself quite occupied with all aspects of each and every layer of the music. The more you play the more you discover and ultimately appreciate even more than the previous spin.
In this economy, spend your money wisely. Shadow Dancer is available in all formats. Reach out to Nadanna Records for this and much more. The world is the darkness and Tobias shines the light.
