New Signing Tobias Dray Shares “I Don’t Mind (feat. Ben Chandler)” From Debut EP (Out November 23)
October 2, 2020 BY Nettwerk
25-year-old Paris-born producer/composer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Dray joins Nettwerk Records’ expanding label roster, which includes artists like Mallrat, LEISURE, Neil Frances, Hermitude, Miami Horror, The Veils, and Vök.
On November 23, Tobias will release his debut EP DAYDREAMER, a classic “recording-in-2020” story. Unable to meet vocal collaborators in person, Tobias – who grew up in Paris and went to school in London before landing in Toronto (which he now calls home) – turned to Spotify, reaching out to vocalists Abel., Ben Chandler, Knightly, and POLYDRIVE with personalized messages complimenting them on their music and asking if they’d like to work together. “From my experience, there are two ways of composing music,” says Tobias. “One, you’re just doing a session with someone. That person is with you in the room. It’s organic and random. Then, there’s the way that I did this record: I’m doing the songs and sending files to people that I think could fit the track.”
The four-track EP plays out like an effortless, languid afternoon where thoughts ascend and recede like gentle ocean waves. The previously released single “Baddest (feat. Abel.)” is a brief but affecting R&B jam that places Abel.’s ethereal vocals against a smooth, mid-tempo beat, while follow-up “I Don’t Mind(feat. Ben Chandler)” picks up the pace, with an up-tempo acoustic track that backs up Chandler’s vocals.
Tobias, who already has a loyal Spotify, Soundcloud and TikTok following from last year’s Ariana Grande x Coltrane mashup and a Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” segue into Kanye West’s classic “Bound 2,” has always loved crate-digging for obscure hip-hop and jazz vinyl. As a result, the DAYDREAMER EP is an easy-breezy listen, featuring a blend of samples and Tobias’ original compositions. “Most tracks have an airy and dreamy vibe to it. When I was making those tracks my mind was really wandering, maybe an escape to uncertainty…”
“I Don’t Mind (feat. Ben Chandler)” is available at all digital retailers: https://tobiasdray.ffm.to/idontmind.
Track List:
- Baddest (feat. Abel.)
- I Don’t Mind (feat. Ben Chandler)
- Sunsets (feat. Knightly)
- We’ll Be Beautiful (feat. POLYDRIVE)
