This release is confusing the s**t out of me. It's a very frustrating dilemma I find myself in. I'd like to destroy certain elements of it, I'd like to remix it and I'd also like shake the producers' hands. Firstly, if you've been sitting in a home studio for a couple of years, carefully crafting beats and sounds, wouldn't you give your work to an objective professional for the final mix? It's essential. Secondly, it takes a concerted effort to make live tracks (like vocals) blend in with digital trickery, otherwise the added tracks just sit on top of the rest of the ensemble like a loud hat. So what we have here is a collection of beautiful sounds - quite eerie and atmospheric - with minimal, unobtrusive beats that complement rather than dominate. Then a host of soulful female vocalists are added to the mix, wonderfully contradicting the dark foundations. It sounds great in theory, but the two major elements simply don't coherently gel, partly due to production, partly due to some forced performances that would better suit a House track. Anymore represents one of the moments when it works. The vocals, rather than sounding like a misplaced House recording, suit the moody synths and minimal beats to perfection. There are some beautiful sounds on the album and instrumentals like iiSd prove that Ouvi Melhor have spent an eternity tweaking sounds and obsessively crafting tracks. Readers who love hearing gals singing over beats will love the variety of contributors including Bonnie Gilham, Yvie Jones, Aimee Nash and Kristie Clemow. All these girls can belt out a tune (or whisper a tune, as is often the case on this album). So, to be objective, I'll say Odiumosis is a worthy contribution to the modern trend of breaking down barriers between sub-genres. But it simply ain't for me.

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Tracklisting

Full listing of OUVI MELHOR releases