What I Know
by Oscar + Martin
album For You
Oscar + Martin What I Know + My Blood + Recognise Video
Slippin’ Through The Cracks Episode 1: Oscar + Martin
When deciding what music to write about or even what to share there are limitless options, not to mention music being pushed in your direction from just about everywhere, and you can’t listen to it all. Nor should you. I’ve never wanted to be one of those blogs that writes about the best of their inbox. I’ve always been about the discovery part, and writing about the best in music, not even the best of new music, but the best music in general.
My goal has always been to have something to add. Not just sharing so people know I like something. If I am writing about an artist, it’s because I think it’s good enough for me to have something to say about it. I’d like to think people have some original thought left in them, so just because the track has been shared 3,000 times before doesn’t mean everyone has heard it. If you added some meaning and maybe even an opinion, well then I can dig it. Plus it’s always nice to be reminded of great tunes that came out a while back that I might have missed. So this is a new weekly series where I talk about albums/artists I was late to the game on, and now I can’t get enough of. After all, supporting artists you love is what this blogging biz is all about anyways. Fuck all the politics. Just write about what you love and tell me why I should care.
The first “episode” of shit that slipped through Dre Dre’s cracks belongs to Melbourne, Australia’s Oscar + Martin. Oscar + Martin’s sound is like a sponge dripping in hip hop influence, most notably The Roots, being rung out over Dirty Projectors’ Bitte Orca record while it spins on the turntable. I can’t say anyone else is doing anything like this right now.
I took me a while to figure out how to describe this band. Their songs permeate your eardrums and settle in to the point where you find yourself subconsciously humming their tunes while you brush your teeth or walking down the street. The way the harmonies bounce of each other in this sing-songy fashion, against a raw sparseness that can be attributed to their love of tape loops, that at times is filled with African inspired drum beats, jangly percussion, and silly pops and squeaks made by various toy instruments. Some of their tunes remind me of certain Wyclef Jean creations, with Lauren Hill inspired vocals, which admittedly I have been yearning for more of since the day those tracks dropped. It’s interesting though, for how DIY and bare bones their creative process is, the production creates this complexity of sounds that took me a minute to understand. It’s funky and jovial, with this throwback RnB finesse added by the vocals that I just really love. Watch the vid below to see what I mean.
For You is the debut album from Oscar + Martin, that was released April 15, 2011 via Two Bright Lakes / Remote Control.
Oscar + Martin | Website | Facebook
Thanks to Jonathan at Live For The Funk for the tip.
