Toytronica

Psapp are a lovely couple of friends of mine who make lovely pop songs from sampling found sounds, cheap electric toys and cats. It’s even more amazing how they’ve taken the songs to a live stage by reconstructing the micro sampling with real instruments within a 5 piece band.

I used to work with Galia in a web agency called Forma during my Shoreditch years – she introduced me to Carim, from whom I learnt the dark art of wiring a studio, using an inline mixing console, compression and all the other must know studio techniques, well some of them.

When you see a couple of people really work at making beautiful things and then receive the recognition, it’s a wonderful thing. It’s even a nice surprise when you stumble across their work in small record stores, as I did when wandering West Broadway NYC. They signed to Domino last year, just after their label mates the Artic Monkeys. You might recognised their music, but not the name. Grey’s Anatomy, Nip Tuck and the OC have used their tracks, alongside adverts from Absolut and Volkswagon.

They also have a host of clever little videos. Here’s a YouTube playlist. Here’s one of the first tracks they released; I used to hang in the studio whilst this track was being put together.

The nice thing is that fans have started making their own little videos to the soundtracks. Here’s a brilliant one.

From sampling everyday sounds to fan videos, thus is adorable free culture.

Last.fm have a little selection of their tracks too. And a interview at the ICA if you want to know a little more about them. And then go and buy some at the excellent BoomKat site! They also have a website, a wikipedia page and of course the myspace site too.

Go on – endulge yourself in free cuteness..