WHAT IS TOY TONICS?
Toy Tonics is an independent music label and culture crew with international artists primarily based in Berlin.
We release music, T-shirts, posters and a fanzine. And we organize the TOY TONICS JAMS where we spread our style and vibe. Read more…
Athlete Whippet returns to Toy Tonics with his 3rd EP ‚U Never Listen’ on the German powerhouse dance label. Having studied music at Goldsmiths in London, Robin Braum aka Athlete Whippet is known for exploring the more playful side of house music and those genres around it, rich in instrumentation and variation.
More performative than ever, ‘U Never Listen’ comes full of vocals, performed instruments, lively arpeggios, no samples, but racked with hooks. Having played and sung in bands all of his teenage years, Robin is picking up singing again on this record on title track ‘U Never Listen’ and ‘Maybe’.
‘Release Me’ features beautiful, multilayered vocals by Allysha Joy, known for her solo work on labels like Gondwana and First Word but also for being the voice of Australian cult outfit 30/70.
It’s not the first time the two collaborate after Athlete Whippet’s remix of 30/70’s ‘Tempted’ on Rhythm Section reached millions of plays across the world.
The EP is also a product of Robin’s deep friendship with Athlete Whippet founding member Avi Barath who co-wrote many of the songs. Part of the core Toy Tonics crew alongside Barbara Boeing, Cody Currie, Kapote, Sam Ruffillo and Gee Lane (whose debut EP just dropped and was co-written and co-produced by Robin), Athlete Whippet has been touring across Europe this year and a full Australia tour is lined up around the EP.
‘U Never Listen’ comes fresh off the heels of his collab EP ‘Into You’ with Amy Dabbs on Aus Music.
Generally taking a communal approach to music, Robin has been hosting intimate nights with DJs from far across the electronic music ecosystem since 2019. Guest sets from the likes of Seb Wildblood, Jitwam, Rebecca Vasmant, Fouk, Amy Dabbs, Hidden Spheres, Will Saul and some of the scene’s brightest new talents have made for some unmissable parties in London’s and Berlin’s cosiest venues. In line with this ethos, he also co-ran artist collective and record label Squareglass – a proudly established home for new artists coming out of South London. Athlete Whippet’s work has seen regular support on radio stations worldwide incl. BBC Radio 1 and 6 by the likes of The Blessed Madonna, Sarah Story, Jamz Supernova and Danny Howard. His last Toy Tonics EP ‘Nogueira’ saw him on the cover of Spotify’s Fresh Finds.
Released 10.11.23
www.toytonics.de