Tokei

Örnólfur Thorlacius' Tokei album recorded as Ozy follows other Icelandic techno releases by the Force Inc. label -- Exos' Strength and Yagya's The Rhythm of Snow -- falling somewhere between these two excellent releases. Thorlacius produces techno that's not nearly as harsh or intense as Exos (producer Arnvidur Snorrason) yet not nearly as sublime or lulling as Yagya (Aalsteinn Gumundsson), yet he somehow manages to incorporate all of these attributes into his music, a style of techno that falls somewhere between the dancefloor and the bedroom. Unfortunately, this middle-of-the-road approach lacks the extremes of his Icelandic peers on Force Inc.. Granted, the music is at times harsh and intense like that of Exos yet not quite enough; similarly, it's sublime and lulling like that of Yagya yet, again, not quite enough. Nonetheless, even if you don't marvel at Tokei quite like you do at Strength or The Rhythm of Snow, it's an impressive album. Anyone who appreciates Thorlacius' aforementioned Icelandic peers should find this music nearly as amazing, though admittedly not as memorable or original. ~ Jason Birchmeier|