Tocaio

Tocaio is an ambient, soundscape, and electronic based project created by Hector Carlos Ramirez. Tocaio attempts to bridge the gap between band and producer by creating an even amount of sound through the use of synthesizers and acoustic instruments, while simultaneously trying to paint beautiful images in the listeners mind. This results in beautifully crafted nostalgic textures that form a palate more simply known as “organic electronic."

"Bonfire” is Tocaio’s second single from upcoming album, “Pointillism.” The track begins with a simple guitar loop, sped up 50%, and opens up with the sound of rhythmic drum patterns accompanied by crashing ambiences to paint the scene of a beach at night. The track then takes us to a melodic kalimba, that serves as the pre chorus hook, which then dives in to guitar, drum, and key driven bliss. “Bonfire” pays tribute to producers such as, Evenings, Teebs, and Shigeto, while maintaining an intricacy from the likes of El ten Eleven or Explosions in the Sky.

In the upcoming months, Tocaio will set out on a fall tour and will be hitting up Denver, New Orleans, Norman, Dallas, San Antonio, Albuquerque, and more! Tocaio will also simultaneously release full-length, “Pointillism,” later this fall. - Purple Melon Music

Taken from Tocaio’s next full-length, ‘Bonfire’ proves that ambient music can be both exciting and refreshing.
Steeped in warm tones, ‘Bonfire’ develops from a simple guitar loop into something far more substantial as prickly melodies wrap themselves around the track’s doughy basslines, and as you reach the final crescendo Hector Carlos Ramirez adds some more drum flourishes to give the track a suitably rousing finish. - Harder, Blogger, Faster

As soon as we read the term ‘organic electronic’ Overblown was intrigued. Probably due to our love of oxymorons but also as a result of years of listening to wonderful artists that meld the organic with the electronic seamlessly like Helios, and Jon Hopkins. ‘Organic electronic’ is the term that Austin, Texas native Carlos Ramirez uses to describe the music he creates as Tocaio. The music is a soothing and wonderfully ambient affair incorporating field recordings of crackling fires, delicate beats along with live instrumentation. In parts, it sounds like Vangelis with a soul.

Carlos took some time to talk to us all about his upcoming debut LP as Tocaio, his song writing process, and how his life in Austin inspires his musical creations. - Overblown

The perfect song for your morning commute. A track that flawlessly matches your running tempo. An anthem for Friday beers at 5pm. Audio therapy for the drive home from a weekend at your parents. We’re all in search of music libraries that function as soundtracks to our daily lives. Carlos Ramirez of Austin-based group Tocaio (formerly known as T.a.p.e.s) is filling the void with soundscapes ideal for driving, dancing, and de-stressing. Tocaio is that bath you really needed. After a little over a year on the local radar, Tocaio is undergoing some major transformations as Ramirez makes the leap from college graduate to full time musician. - Smear Magazine

Buried deep in the annals of SoundCloud, Texas group T.a.p.e.s is one of the hidden gems that make digging through the plethora of middling acts worthwhile. Having released their debut EP in May of this year, T.a.p.e.s has been quietly amassing a local following, with their song “Sundial” having been featured on the RawPaw label’s Alien Zine Mixtape, which premiered in August. Listening to TAPES makes it easy to understand the steadily building buzz; featuring eight tracks of dreamy, slightly melancholic ambience, T.a.p.e.s is an endlessly pleasant blend of post-rock, downtempo, and shoegaze. - XFDR