UK based label ANA debuts the haunting and mysterious experimental sounds of Oyl with new “Urm” LP.
Little can be inferred about who Oyl is, or who it’s comprised of, but what is clear is that whoever is behind Oyl wants to take you on an introspective sonic journey. Rather than separating and naming each composition as individual tracks, this album simply describes its contents as ‘Side A’ and ‘Side B’, and only when you observe what’s inside of the physical LP do you get any additional information. Placed in each sleeve is an index card with a few inkblot characters and several time-coded descriptors for each side. You could call these track titles if you want to, but there is something to be said about the artist’s decision to withhold these titles from the record’s sleeve, label and digital presentation. Perhaps we are being nudged toward listening to each side in their entirety and not skip around?
The simplicity in design, lack of text, and an image of a vague, desolate landscape should be enough to entice the right unexpecting record digger. “What’s this going to sound like I wonder?” you ask yourself as you pick the record up, and just like that, it has you. And when you do give “Urm’ a listen, it is recommended that you remain comfortably seated, at least for your first exposure. From the get go, the record is disorienting. A human voice hums and echoes its way into sounding like a swarm of bees. Large 808 bass tones begin to drip. You are immediately transported somewhere else. A cave? There’s water dripping. Clapping. Are there people around me? Am I concussed? Stoned? Am I in danger? As you navigate your way through “Side A” of the record, you can start to pick up on the intricate sound design that makes this release special. Most of the sounds feel organic, yet tampered with. There’s a definite presence of artificial electronics mixed in throughout, like the buzzing feedback loops that weave their way in and out at about seven minutes in; a section that is at least unofficially titled ”Interlude: Flanked By Wild Slate”. Gradually more percussion is introduced, and a steady beat begins to emerge. Now this record is beginning to sound like something you could utilize in a dj set, either as a pallet cleanser or as an epic intro to set the mood for something dark and grand.
Side B of the record somehow gets even darker. This whole side could make for an excellent score for a horror film, but certainly isn’t trapped inside that box. The frightening, booming percussion is diffused by a dainty and dreamy bit-crushed pad, which gently floats in and out of the mix. All of the key elements of a deep, dark dub techno track are present in this side of the record, yet they are utilized in an atypical, broken down fashion. Twelve minutes into “Side B”, a section we can refer to as the closing track “Another Mermaid’s Purse”, has the first and perhaps only steady kick drum at any point of this album. This composition in particular is refreshing and exciting, and could be equally well received at a renegade forest party and an opening set at Berghain.
“Urm” by Oyl is as mysterious as it is enticing. Dank, dark, and psychedelic, the album is the perfect listen for seasoned fans of the abstract. “Urm” is an exceptionally crafted musical voyage with a refreshing experimental, contemporary sound and an enticing visual aesthetic to match. Pick up one of only 150 copies while they’re still available on ANA’s bandcamp, or show support with a digital download.
-Jeronimo Watson
Link – Bandcamp
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