Toy (Yello album)

Last updated
Toy
Yello Toy Album Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released30 September 2016
Genre EDM
Length61:04
Label Universal
Producer Yello
Yello chronology
The Key to Perfection
(2012)
Toy
(2016)
Point
(2020)
Singles from Toy
  1. "Limbo"
    Released: 22 July 2016
  2. "Tool of Love"
    Released: 12 August 2016
  3. "Blue Biscuit"
    Released: 16 September 2016
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 74/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Line of Best Fit 7.5/10 [5]
Mixmag 8/10 [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Toy is the thirteenth studio album by the Swiss electronic duo Yello. It was released on 30 September 2016 on Universal Music. [10]

Contents

In order to promote the album, Yello performed four sold-out shows at Berlin's Kraftwerk during the last week of October 2016, their first live shows ever. [11]

Reception

A reviewer of Mixmag stated, "On this showing, they’re just as weird and just as wonderful as ever. The first thing that’s noticeable is just how inventive Blank’s synth work still is: whether for floating sunrise ballads, darkly rippling ambient pieces or pumping glam-pop, his sounds bubble and blurt in super surprising ways." [6] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH wrote, " Their latest return from the wilderness feels as though in the wake of a long absence, but in reality the duo have kept at close quarters, plotting their next album even while pursuing solo ventures. And here it is, the brightly coloured Toy – where after a brief intro we alight on planet Yello with some vintage Meier vocals, given from the soles of his boots." [7] A review by the Record Collector commented, "Dieter Meier’s vocals are a little grizzled but retain their dark chocolate vibes. He’s the bohemian who’s seen it all but can’t stop partying, reflecting this in the lyrics. He does however need a few disco naps, these being filled adequately by party guests." [8] Chris Todd of The Line of Best Fit noted, "It all results in their strongest album for over two decades... they're one of those acts who, despite sounding the same throughout their career, have managed to avoid ever sound boring." [5]

Track listing

Standard edition

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Frautonium Intro" Boris Blank, Dieter Meier 1:10
2."Limbo"Blank, Meier3:23
3."30'000 Days"Blank, Meier4:05
4."Cold Flame" (featuring Malia)Blank, Malia, Meier4:02
5."Kiss the Cloud" (featuring Fifi Rong)Blank, Meier, Fifi Rong3:14
6."Pacific AM"Blank, Meier3:23
7."Starlight Scene"Blank, Malia, Meier3:17
8."Give You the World" (featuring Malia)Blank, Malia, Meier3:32
9."Tool of Love"Blank, Meier3:12
10."Dialectical Kid"Blank, Heidi Happy, Meier3:18
11."Dark Side"Blank, Meier, Rong4:15
12."Blue Biscuit"Blank, Meier3:36
13."Magma"Blank, Meier6:27
14."Frautonium"Blank, Meier4:21

Deluxe edition

Deluxe edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Frautonium Intro"Blank, Meier1:09
2."Limbo"Blank, Meier3:22
3."30'000 Days"Blank, Meier4:05
4."Electrified II"Blank, Malia, Meier2:49
5."Cold Flame" (featuring Malia)Blank, Malia, Meier4:02
6."Kiss the Cloud" (featuring Fifi Rong)Blank, Meier, Rong3:13
7."Starlight Scene"Blank, Malia, Meier3:16
8."Tool of Love"Blank, Meier3:12
9."Give You the World" (featuring Malia)Blank, Malia, Meier3:32
10."Dialectical Kid"Blank, Heidi Happy, Meier3:18
11."Dark Side"Blank, Meier, Rong4:15
12."Pacific AM"Blank, Meier3:22
13."Blue Biscuit"Blank, Meier3:35
14."Lost in Motion" (featuring Fifi Rong)Blank, Meier, Rong3:32
15."Magma"Blank, Meier6:26
16."Toy Square"Blank, Meier3:08
17."Frautonium"Blank, Meier4:20

Personnel

Band
Production

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [12] 16
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [13] 80
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [14] 82
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [15] 48
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] 2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [17] 13
Scottish Albums (OCC) [18] 75
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [19] 55
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [20] 1
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 84

Year-end charts

Chart (2016)Position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] 59

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References

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  2. Deming, Mark. "Review of Toy". AllMusic . All Media Network . Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  3. Simpson, Dave. "Album review Toy". The Guardian. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  4. Gill, Andy (29 September 2016). "Album reviews: Drive-By Truckers, Van Morrison, Bon Iver, Pixies, Regina Spektor and more". The Independent . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 Todd, Chris (22 September 2016). "Swiss duo Yello get electrified, and deliver their best album since 1991". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  6. 1 2 "October: 18 albums you need to hear this month". Mixmag . 30 September 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. 1 2 Hogwood, Ben (11 October 2016). "Yello - Toy | Album Reviews". musicOMH . Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Toy - Record Collector Magazine". Record Collector . 6 October 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  9. Hodgkinson, Will. "Album review Toy". The Times. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  10. "Yello - Timeline". Facebook . Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  11. "Yello announce first ever live shows and new album Toy". Factmag.com. 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
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  14. "Ultratop.be – Yello – Toy" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
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