Tomutonttu, Tomutonttu (side A)

Tomutonttu is a solo project of Kemialliset Ystävät leader Jan Anderzen, and 2007's Tomutonttu is his second album under this name.  Anderzen layers simplistic loops to create an atmospheric space.  Most tracks have a vague sense of pulse without any drive or rhythm, and the results often remind me of odd 80s music like the two albums from Woo or Jad Fair's Best Wishes.  Where these 80s referents tend to sound murky, Tomutonttu sounds overly bright, with a modern mastering job that emphasizes the slight harshness in the treble.  There are occasional moments of chaos, often with strange mouth and vocal noises interrupting their flow.  Some tracks also move more into a propulsive and vaguely rhythmic direction, with a bit more coherence and drive than is typical here.  The amazing packaging features bright and bold designs on both the cover and the printed inner sleeve.