Oval - Oh

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Ant on Thu 10 Jun, 2010.

Gosh, this sound very lovely indeed. It's a sad state of affairs when I'm telling myself 'I hope I don't like this record' as I've mouths to feed. I'm really enjoying the complex layers of strings which sort of feel like and extension of Marcus Popp's glitch arrangements. How this differs is that the construction is from real instruments but I get a sense of a similar vision. The drums have loose jazzy fluidity to them, not unlike labelmates Tortoise at times and I'm even reminded of Brise Glace if anyone remembers them (it was Jim O'Rourke, Darin Grey etc.). So yeah there are 4 tracks on the A-side and then the B-side is made up of lots and lots of little pieces. I particularly like the photo on the sleeve with the cute tweety birds all playing on the guitar.

· Instead, and totally out of nowhere, this 15-track EP establishes Popp as an accomplished musician, who is delivering a glimpse of his very own exciting flavor of “free” music in the best sense of the word.

· This meticulously crafted EP is indeed a wild ride - and it is in fact so fundamentally different in almost every imaginable way (Guitars? Are those actual drums?!?) that we will instead conveniently list what remains unchanged: Popp’s latest tracks still have this almost unsettling, organic, soothing atmosphere that has made Oval tracks and remixes such timeless classics.

· What makes this new release especially exciting, is that Popp effortlessly merges totally unexpected musicianship with his sensibility for abstract, angular electronics and blends them into a vibrantly colorful music that truly feels alive.

· The new Oval sound is so arresting, emotional and dynamic that all distinctions like “programmed vs. played”, “laptop vs. improvisation” or “acoustic vs. electronic” are rendered meaningless.

· ‘Oh’ is pressed on 150 gram white vinyl and housed in an LP jacket with a hand-glued photo art card on the front. The 12” is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide and includes a download coupon.

· Artwork by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot

· The 25 minute ‘Oh’ EP will be followed by Oval’s brand new full
length album later this year.

· “Some of the most serene and aquatic music of the 90s...This record is why Markus Popp was called the new Eno” - Pitchfork on ‘94diskont’ (on of their Top 100 Albums of the 1990s).

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