We previously featured Shortout Kid as he channelled raw grunge energy and trippy and experimental analogue innovation on his sophomore single, Pet Song, so when we found out that the inspiring, subversive artist was back with Toy Shop, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Toy Shop opens with a meditative synth and astral keys as Shortout Kid shares cerebral prose based around independence, manifesting like a dark nursery rhyme. The opus expands with organ tones and climaxes before a stripped-back second verse.
The bold synths are epic and the signature fuzz-bass details that emerge are signature to Shortout Kid‘s wider discography. As a reminder, this signature sound is courtesy of a unique and “radical” instrument created by Shortout Kid himself. Dubbed the “razor belt”, it combines the looks and sounds of a chainsaw and an electric guitar, and is the key component to his “vicious rock” sound.
We love what manifests here, and could imagine the track being featured in Donnie Darko, Weapons, or a movie like Insidious. The Dutch artist shares how Toy Shop serves as an orchestral amplification of an industrial ballad, resulting in a sound somewhere in between Nothing but Thieves, Radiohead, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish.
On his sonic identity, he adds, “Take Mozart – and teach him to play a chainsaw. Take Kurt Cobain – and have him get addicted to a sampler. Take the softest sound you can catch from an exploding amplifier, and turn it into a ballad. Take Jimi Hendrix, and have him come up with an instrument to play the noise of a much harsher era.”
It’s truly genius overall, and fully a hypnotic experience. We love the darkness fused with childlike motifs which creates a super jarring, visionary experience. The ebbs and flows of the track keep us enthralled throughout, and the monotone delivery is jarring yet resonates like a mantra.
Naturally, we have added Toy Shop to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Shortout Kid, including Pet Song, and Tricked Out Brain Glitch (You’re My Beauty). You can follow Shortout Kid on Instagram.