Super review by Cal Gibson, of The Secret Soul Society.

Stevie Kotey’s Bearfunk label has long been a byword for underground disco quality, chock full of tunes sculpted for late nights and early mornings. Missives from the land of the red light and a feeling. Music for Idjuts, you might well venture, and all the better for that.

However, shred any preconceptions because Tobor Experiment’s Available Forms takes a considerable musical detour into the icy tundra of library music houses, KPM and De Wolfe: it’s absolutely rammed with ace soundtrack-y tropes and muso flourishes.

With Stevie’s keen ears overseeing the project you know it’s going to be strong, and unsurprisingly you’d be right. Opener, Lowpass Risotto, waltzes in on an extended vamp, and straight away the vibes are present and correct, as Giorgio Sancristoforo casually unfolds his multi-instrumentalist skills. There’s a warmth and a playfulness that calls to mind Brian Bennett maybe, or The Hawk: high praise indeed. The groove lopes along, the synths squelch, the handclaps, umm, handclap. It’s a way, way cool start.

Halgatron is sci-fi funk au naturel – the sound of Blake’s Seven getting right on one matey. Led by a bass so tight it’s almost unlawful, the crescendos come thick and fast. The main riff hanging on a super-phat synth lick. A nagging beast of a tune.

Astounding Stories brings the smoky jazzclub feels: Saint Germain’s Rose Rouge sidelined by a bespectacled geography teacher, perhaps… And if that makes it sound shonky then fear not – it’s another wondersome slice of after-hours goodness. Guitar and Massimiliano Diotallevi‘s sax trading phrases and places before the drums come again, righteous and regal.

Monsters plays us out and the soundtrack signifiers are strong on this one: the lunatics have not only taken over the asylum, they’ve set up a steaming great sound-system in there and are blasting out the theme from The Wicker Man all night long. Off-kilter, helter-skelter – a banger from the bargain bins. You get the distinct feeling Mr. Weatherall would have been all over this.

So Bearfunk are back, back, back: just not quite in the way you’d expect. Which is great, right? That’s what art is all about: confounding expectations, taking the road less travelled, wandering free and easy through the darkest of nights. Props to Giorgio and Stevie. Together they’ve dropped something of an underground classic methinks. Properly good.

Tobor Experiment’s Available Forms is out now on Bearfunk.