Jonny Tobin | "Together"

 

After releasing the full-length “Weekends” in 2020 (released via Wicked Wax in Amsterdam), a string of singles, collaborative projects, and EPs in 2021, Jonny Tobin releases another full-length solo album “Together” to kick off 2022. Facing isolation and loneliness (as many people in the world did throughout 2020), the album is a collection of tracks that Jonny made to channel negative feelings into something hopeful and forward-looking.

While the album was created without any other collaborators, many of the tracks on the album relate back to an experience that personally inspired Jonny, or to a connection with someone else. “Take Your Time” was an evolution of a Masego remix contest submission from the summer of 2020 (while Jonny didn’t win the contest, he received a memorable shoutout from Masego on Instagram). On “What I Didn’t Do”, Jonny features a clip from friend and fellow musician William Chernoff speaking about unrealized potential and some of the negative self-talk that can hold people back. “Vivid Dreams” also features vocals by way of a chopped lead vocal from the Jonny Tobin-produced track “Mars” by Janette King. Closing off the album is the introspective track “Leonidus”, which was born out of a beat Jonny created for Loop Sessions, a monthly beatmakers hang. The track expanded into a tribute to Jonny’s friend Leonidus Edwards who passed away suddenly in 2021.

“Together” represents Jonny’s response to all the tragedy, despair, and grief of the past 2 years - holding space for those emotions but also seeking to provide glimmers of optimism with an almost playful delight, as the compositions encapsulate his bright outlook on the world.