Alphabetical Order: T

Tim Toum by Codek

I can’t tell you much about this track because I don’t know much about it, apart from the fact that it’s very good and seems to have jetted in from another planet. I first came across it on the excellent Sonar Collektiv compilation: Computer Incarnations for World Peace and I could not believe the track was made in 1981, so modern and minimal was the production. The track was produced in the Pompidou Centre in Paris, of all places, and is credited to a Jean-Marie Salaun. I think it’s from France or perhaps the Ivory Coast, at least that’s where it was first released under the name Tam Tam – on the short lived West African Music label. It was then given a European release by Island Records in 1982.

All of this info is sketchy – listening to another Codek Release, Demo, they sound like they’re from Northern England. Anyway, what’s important about the record is the futuristic production. If Timbaland hasn’t heard this tune, I’d be amazed. It’s sparse, percussive feel is an absolute ringer for the style Timbo made his own in the mid to late nineties and which has since seeped into the consciousness of producers from all across the modern musical spectrum.

Hearing Tim Toum now is quite a shock, it sounds so fresh – I can only imagine what this must have sounded like in 1981. I’m pretty sure it was slept on at the time, or there’d be more info knocking around the interwebs on it. The 12” goes for something like £50, so somebody somewhere knows the records worth, clearly. Anyway, for pioneering avant tropical cosmic percussive new wave that went on (wether through influence, osmosis or sheer coincidence) to influence a million ‘post rnb’ producers, look no further than this singularly brilliant banger. And if anyone knows any more about the track, drop us a line and share the knowledge…….

By Joe Evans