Customer Reviews

No Hassle

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tosca is that rare bird that doesn't come around too often. Having been on the scene for nearly a decade now they continue to release must have albums. If you're a fan already then surely this is a disc not to be missed. However if you're new to the picture, you really can't go wrong with any of the cd's by this fabulous duo. This album seems a little smoother than some of the others with more ambience and not as much up tempo beats per say as in say the album Suzuki. This isn't my favorite from these guys, but it ranks right up there with the best. You get a two disc set that has the studio album and there's also a live set included which is my favorite of the two discs! Dorfmiester rules!!!

Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister) and Rupert Huber return this week with another Tosca release. `No Hassle' is their 10th full length album and most recent since 2006's unfortunate remix project `Souvenirs.' Well, there is reason to celebrate as Tosca returns to the form that fans of `Suzuki' and `Dehli9' came to love. These Viennese masters of the modern lounge scene mix an intoxicating blend of digital and analog to create wholly mesmerizing ambient music that conjures atmospheres which are virtually tangible. Standout tracks include "Elitsa," "Birthday," "Elektra Bregenz," "Raymondo" and "Mrs. Bongo." Toss `No Hassle' into your Groove Salad and enjoy. Tasty!

Any fan of Tosca will appreciate the subtle shift into a more mature direction on "No Hassle," without leaving their signature sound. Like Boozoo Bajou's latest, "Grains," Tosca ventures languidly into a side street of their own environment on "No Hassle." For anyone not familiar with their music, "No Hassle" offers a tasty slice of their style that is sure to send newcomers to their previous releases. Divided into a studio disk and a live disk, Tosca starts both with a slow build to a swinging midtempo groove that lasts through the center of each disk, then devolves slowly to a near beatless ambient finish. The live disk is of a single performance earlier this year where they performed most of the music that appears on the studio disk, and their performance is impressive. The live disk feels even hazier than the stress free studio offering; by the end of both you're ready to inhabit the quiet they leave behind. Their most compelling title yet, "No Hassle" feels much like a singular place all it's own, similar to "Delhi 9" before it in it's exploration of an almost Zen-like state of an in-the-present groove. This sublime masterpiece won't be leaving my cd players any time soon.

This is one of Tosca's best albums yet, but I was seriously disappointed to discover that the DVD won't play in my Region 1 DVD player. And the DVD was manufactured in the USA. What gives!

Like their contemporaries Thievery Corporation, Tosca (i.e. Richard Dorfmeister & Rupert Huber) seem determined to move into a more laid-back, less challenging mode than the earlier works on which their reputation is based. Has the market changed or have they just got older? Certainly there's nothing on "No Hassle" that has the exuberant edge of Tosca's first three albums or Kruder & Dorfmeister's groundbreaking work in the late 1990s.

Bad news then? Possibly... if you're looking for more of Richard Dorfmeister's upbeat electronica/dance gems there's nothing here that fits bill and you will indeed be disappointed... but, then again, if you're looking for some superbly produced, at times hauntingly beautiful mood music then "No Hassle" will deliver exactly what you want. And, you get a lot of it: with the studio album being the more radio-friendly & up-beat of the two CDs and the live album, with its much slower ambient feel, being the more interesting and arguably more impressive outing.

The considered, concert hall style applause at the end of the live set shows just how far from the sweaty Ibiza clubs Tosca are these days and, because of this, it's pretty unfair to compare apples & pears. This is music for an older generation with Richard Dorfmeister using his consummate skills in weaving intricate sound patterns to produce lush almost cerebral musical landscapes rather than insidious dance-floor beats. It takes several listens to get into and because much of it follows the same ultra laid-back style it can drag-on a bit in parts but, even so, "No Hassle" is up there with the very best of this type of music.

Star rating? Well it all depends on where you're coming from. If you're into high quality "chill out" music then the studio CD is a four star plus outing. If you're into more thoughtful ambient music then the live CD deserves the same. But, if you're into Tosca & Richard Dorfmeister's earlier stuff you may be be struggling to give it three.

Among all genres of music, No Hassle is already one of my favorite records. A range of tempos and grooves strike a delicate balance between soothing and stimulating the listener. As has been pointed out elsewhere, Dorfmeister and Huber tapped a small pool of instruments to create these sonic textures. This unity makes the album more durable for electronic fans and more palatable for the uninitiated.

The first four tracks on the main disc are particularly strong. "My First" is a gentle ride away from wherever you are, followed by "Elitsa," a slow-swinging tune that conjures up passionate and romantic visions of the tropics. The brightness level then comes up for "Springer" and the care-free "Birthday," complete with a splash of thoughtful lyrics. The rest of the record will surprise and intrigue you, until things wind down with the lush "Mrs. Bongo." The title track is a last strange trip back toward reality. The "live" disc is a tasteful but very similar rearrangement of the record, with ambient transitions.

No Hassle charts a different course from previous Tosca offerings, and marks a new high for Dormeister since his immortal work on The K&D Sessions. You will love spending time with this record, including the digipak itself, which is just as nice to be around as the music.

I have every Tosca album and I think this has got to be one of my favorite albums now. very chill and great melodys. if you like this album. check out some of there singles too. Honey (azoia Dub) is an amazing song too.. keep up the great work

A wonderful surreal, mellow ambience runs through this album like a warm breeze on a summer night. Buy it. It will enhance your environment.

This kills me: I'm a huge Tosca fan and have been since "F*** Dub" came out in 96, but this album is just too bland for my taste. Tosca are always mellow, laid back, chill - whatever word you like - but there was always a musical intensity from the creative act of composition. On "No Hassle," the music goes from mellow to borderline dull. Worst of all, it sounds like something a great number of downtempo artists could knock out easily, not the work of Richard Dorfmeister - one of the all-time greats of the style.

The music is lovely, but it feels superficial compared to "J.A.C." and "Suzuki." There's nothing as funky as "Opera" and it's just not as flavorful as "Dehli 9." The track, 'Springer' comes close, but not too close. The entire album feels rather uninspired, like Tosca decided it was time for a new album and they had to force out some mellow grooves. Granted, for many artists, this would be a pretty great album, but for Tosca, this is decidedly below their usual caliber.

For one thing, the dub elements are firmly in the background. You've got tracks like "Oysters In May" that have a dub flavor, but again, it's not nearly as dubby as their early work. I'm okay with a group shifting styles, but this doesn't feel like a step forward, or even a step sideways. I think Tosca can do better than this.

Tosca describe this album as 'introspective' and a 'sea of sound' where the listener is encouraged to let it flow gently over the top as it soaks in. This is an apt description, but it also describes a lot of their other work, which is stronger. If they're going to ask me to lay on my couch and listen with my eyes closed, they'd better be sure there's enough musical interest and variety that I won't fall asleep.

I'm pretty disappointed by "No Hassle," but that's partially because I expect a lot from Richard and Rupert. Undoubtedly, many will find this a very pleasant album. Tosca fans should buy this (obviously), but be sure to manage your expectations. Other fans of downtempo and dub would do well to check out "Suzuki" or "Opera" before "No Hassle." From what Tosca say about this particular album, it seems that they were deliberately going in a new direction. I hope that their next album is more of a return to their usual high level.

ONE - BUY TOSCAS NO HASSLE
TWO - RETURN HOME IMMEDIATELY
THREE - LOCK ALL THE DOORS
FOUR - TURN OFF THE PHONE
FIVE - TURN OFF THE TV
SIX - FIND A PLACE TO RECLINE
SEVEN - IMBIBING OPTIONAL
EIGHT - CLOTHING OPTIONAL
NINE - TURN OFF THE LIGHTS
TEN - HIT PLAY

VIENNESE DUO DORFMEISTER AND HUBER CREATE
A UNIQUE ALMOST MOVIE SOUNDTRACK DIRECTION
WITH DARK AMBIENT INFUSED INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS
PACKED WITH BRILLIANCE AND IMAGINATION.

FOR THOSE OF US BEATEN TO DEATH WITH NEWS,
VIEWS,REVIEWS AND SWINE INFESTED DATA THIS
LATEST FROM K 7 IS THE ULTIMATE ANTIDOTE.

SUPREME TRACKS - OYSTERS IN MAY - FONDUE
AND NO HASSLE.

GREAT TRACKS - FIRST - SPRINGER - JOE SI
AND MRS BONGO.

UNLIKE DELHI9 AND J.O.C. NO HASSLE RAISES
THE TOSCA BAR TO NEW UNCHARTED HEIGHTS OF
SMOLDERING MULTI LAYERED FINESSE.

DIRECTORS OUT THERE - EVER WANTED MUSIC
THAT CAN EPITOMIZE THE FEEL AND MOOD OF
YOUR WORK? - LOOK NO FURTHER - THESE GUYS
CAPTURE EVERY LEVEL OF EMOTION THROUGH
THIS 21ST CENTURY MUSIC.

ONLY ONE COMPLAINT,I WOULD OF ENJOYED A
TAD MORE VOCALS BUT THEN AGAIN WITH
POSSIBLY THE MOST INSPIRED RELEASE THIS
YEAR YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN "NO HASSLE"
PUMPS IN AT A SOLID NINE!

BUT IT OR FLY IT? - IT'S A BIG CHILLA
BUY! - ENJOY THE RIDE - NOW TURN OFF
THE LIGHTS AND CHILL.