Ovall - Eksploio '2019

Tracks list

Tracklist:

[4:40] 1. Oval - Eksploio
[4:00] 2. Oval - Paragramm
[3:28] 3. Oval - Blissous
[4:16] 4. Oval - Ambik
[3:44] 5. Oval - Brockaat

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Thrill Jockey
Thrill-515 - 2019
Oval began in the early 90’s and rapidly gained acclaim for its
innovations in electronic music. Composer Markus Popp championed software
intuition over his own role in music making for many years, anticipating the AI
trend in composition by nearly 30 years. Early albums found a critique of the
entire system of recorded music built into every gesture. Popp toured with a
desktop computer and projected his screen, constructing remarkably evocative and
emotional performances from file manipulation. Each new Oval release saw Popp
radically redefine his practice, introducing new elements and embracing new
creative challenges, integrating cutting-edge technology and processes into his
practice to ensure that each record sounded as contemporary and exhilarating as
the last. New album Scis and its companion EP Eksploio see the producer focus on
composition, working with a fresh palette of sounds to create his most emotive
work to date. Popp injects a newfound playfulness into his complex loop
architectures, with both album and EP exploring and subverting elements of club
music. The intricate, organic drum sounds Popp introduced on the Oh! EP and O
album have here been replaced with driving electronic rhythms, albeit still
approached by Popp as an instrumentalist rather than a beat-maker.

Oval’s creative process begins with setting the parameters for the
project, creating a limited space to work within, and then exploring with all
the possible creative avenues within that framework. Where early compositions
saw Popp meticulously tinkering with software and systems to reduce his own
visible hand in the music, Scis instead sees Popp focus the human element in his
creation, augmenting delicate and intensely crafted loops with an array of
acoustic instruments. Sounds sourced from prepared pianos, woodwinds and strings
were manipulated and sculpted with simulated sounds into intricate and
substantial sonic layers. Popp would then record a live playthrough of the
pre-constructed loops while adding in instruments from his vast collection of
sound samples to shape each song. The resulting pieces have a distinctive
freeform, improvised feel to them, never hiding behind “electronic
abstraction” but rather engaging in a musical dialog with the listener.

Scis and Eksploio have a distinctive melodic sensibility. Popp approached pieces
more as an art director or composer than a producer. Despite running through at
a steady 120pm, his impressive command of space and intricate rhythms gives the
album a distinctive ebb and flow. “Twirror” acts as an immediate
statement of intent with its choice of instrumentation: glistening sitar and
staccato piano loop collapsing into an overdriven synth hooks and driving
rhythms. “Robussy” and “Fluoresso” quickly open up the
field of sound, Popp building and stripping back layers to create a distinct
sense of drama even in the album’s more delicate moments.
“Pushhh” revisits prior experiments with vocal sampling, this time
chaining them to pounding kick drums, anchoring otherwise freeform loops.
“Mikk” experiments with more abrasive textures, using urgent, grimey
drums and detuned pianos.

Throughout, each sound and instrument was deliberately and painstakingly
assembled. Popp explains, “it’s making musical sense of a multitude
of software modules sending data to each other. There’s always this
balancing act of setting up a process, listening, intervention into the various
processes and the traditional playing of (software) instruments. I built these
songs clip by clip, sometimes over the course of months.” Meticulous
attention to detail and a wide-eyed sense of discovery has enabled Popp to
continually innovate with each release. In stepping out from behind his software
on Scis and Eksploio, Popp presents his most immediate and affecting work as
Oval to date, unveiling a new hypermelodic flavor of electronic music.

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