Artist: Various Artists
Album: Omnipresence
Record Label: Vertigo Records
Label Website: vertigo-records.com
Buy this Album from Saikosounds here!
Review:
Compilation albums are a tad difficult to write reviews for.
Well, for me they are.
Normally.
But not always.
lol
I could probably erase that opening and move on from here, seeing as it is unnecessary and stupid. But I won’t. I’ll just move forward now and tell you about this compilation that I have been obsessing over for a while now. I downloaded it back in August and waited for a while for the damn thing to get released and sold someplace where I could find it. I kept telling people that the album was awesome, and played it on my radio show to get some word out, but I didn’t feel right writing a review on a stolen album of this much awesomeness. So I waited and when I finally saw that it was released and available, I bought it and am now even more into this album than before.
Omnipresence is an exquisite album from beginning to end. The album starts off with a gorgeous synth stab that floats around for a moment before the kick is flipped and the beat triggered. Then the song —and album— journey forward into blissful rhythms, delightful breakdowns and some well placed samples that recognize the need for some good cheese and tongue well placed in cheek moments.
I am not too familiar with many of the artists on here. I know Mullet Mohawk and Sattel Battle (and they offer a few tracks that do not disappoint at all!), but the rest are relatively obscure and unknown to me. Amongst these unknowns are some great names that I will be certainly watching for in the future. Artists such as Delirious Noon and Terrafractyl are definitely high on that list.
The two Delirious Noon tracks on here have a playful energy that are unfiltered and entirely spot-on for the desired sunrise/early morning time frame. The chills that I get and the hairs that stick up on the back of my neck during some of these breakdowns are expertly conceived and implemented. It is rare that the morning euphoria rush is this brilliantly manipulated, this well executed. Knowing that there is a Delirious Noon album in the works and set to be released soon really makes me excited for spring time. I want to get out into a wet forest soon and get nasty to some love.
Terrafractyl has two offerings on here as well, one is a solo piece and the other is a collaboration with Quench. Again, both of these tracks pop, groove, lock, and move. They bounce with a spring in their step and allow my eyes to keep focused on the aether of the unknown and the giddiness that surrounds each new awakening.
All there is, is me
Omnipresence isn’t afraid to embrace the sample fodder of LSD jokes or simple existential soundbites either. The album welcomes those moments and doesn’t allow them to negatively affect the music like 1200 Micrograms seem to do. And each track seems to build from the track prior to it as the entire album takes you on a journey from reality to imagination and back again.
All in all, I simply don’t know what else to say about this release. The art perfectly matches the music and the music completely captures my being. 2008 is almost over and it has been an unprecedented year of emotions and turmoil. Love and conflict. Endings and beginnings. Light and darkness. Throughout it all, we have had music to help us through it all and give us some focus —as well as some distractions.
Omnipresence: Present everywhere at the same time
That is an extremely apt name for this compilation.
I am glad that I get to be a part of this Brainbow.
xoxox
-A’damn