Touane: Figura

On Figura, electronic composer Touane constructs life as a prolonged case of the doldrums. This is not by design. Italy-born, Germany-based Marco Tonni, the man behind the moniker, intended his second release to reflect a day in a life of “an ordinary girl”, presumably complete with the mundane, the odd, and the familiar. Certain song titles — “Curious Neighbors”, “Junk Food”, and “Taking Off-Learning to Swim” — hint at the variety offered by waking existence. But nearly front-to-back, Figura is chrome. Touane’s groove-immune, minimalist style comes through vacant and aimless, appearing almost indifferent to its own blank effect. No set of moods, sentiments, or emotions fully registers amidst the low-hum beats and ripples. Even the promisingly titled “Autoerotica” strains to get the blood flowing. Perhaps Touane’s muse sleepwalks her daily routine. Admittedly, the album isn’t all tedium. In contrast to the general malaise, “Fruhstuck”, with its space carnival dials, seems positively capricious. This respite is a lonely moment though, as Touane’s mishandled conception resumes down its unadorned course.