It\’s finally here and thankfully, it\’s been well worth the wait.
Here\’s the story so far: Seattle-based duo ODESZA, consisting of Clayton Knight and Harrison Mills, formed in 2012. What started as their small collaborative project quickly became a musical sensation that has now been heard beyond the dance music sphere.
Their first album \”Summer\’s Gone\” captured the perfect sounds of an ending summer season; all of the beauty, warmth, happiness, and relaxing vibes were blended into this summertime smoothie, one that was made for the enjoyment of an array of listeners. In other words, ODESZA\’s production isn\’t aimed towards one audience in particular; their music is an overall divergence from the popular dance music scene and does not take up a single genre. The freshness indeed brought them the spotlight as \”How Did I Get Here,\” their biggest hit from the album, has now racked up nearly two and a half million listens on their official SoundCloud.
Thanks to the digital revolution, art has a fine way of traveling freely and effortlessly through the world wide web. Producers now have a powerful medium to share their work with those who may appreciate it and those who will make it better. The term \”free download\” usually has a bad connotation; ODESZA eliminated that thought from my mind when I went to download their music over a year ago. Free downloads have proven to be successful because there is no obligation to give it a try and that\’s exactly what I did.
The first time I heard ODESZA was while exploring the never-ending SoundCloud realm. Their \”My Friends Never Die\” Extended Play (2013) had just surfaced and it opened me up to the rest of their work. The duo then reworked two Pretty Lights tracks near the beginning of this year. After a massive EP release and two brilliant remixes of my own favorite producer\’s music, I officially fell in love with ODESZA. They made such a lasting impression on me that I named them one of my top acts to watch this summer.
Now fast-forward to mid-July of 2014 when ODESZA announced that a studio album was in the works and to be released on the 9th of September. This announcement was made just before I got to see them live in Chicago (at Wicker Park Fest) and it made the anticipation even greater. Their show was nothing short of amazing; they implement pad drumming and sampling to compose all of their tracks live.
Now, almost two months later, it\’s time to premiere a compilation of spirit-lifting tunes brought to us by the masterminds that make up ODESZA. I was given the opportunity to listen to the album and donate my opinion, so I proudly present to you:
ODESZA – \”In Return\”
1. Always This Late
To start things off, we are greeted with \”Always This Late.\” This track paints a preview of what is to come from this album. All of the recognizable ODESZA aspects are included; the percussion-filled drum beat, atmospheric backdrop, and high-pitched voice samples all come together with some lovely strings to deliver the introduction to \”In Return.\” By now, I am beyond curious to hear the rest of the tracks.
2. Say My Name
\”I wanna dance, I wanna dance, I wanna dance with you.\”
The second track comes as a collaboration with Zyra providing the smooth vocals. The track stands out for its catchy yet meaningful lyrics. The vocals get the ODESZA treatment and are chopped up and messed with to make it unique. We also begin to hear high pitched, 8-bit sounding arpeggios that almost sound surreal; this is a fine addition to an already great overall tune. \”Say My Name\” was also given out for free as \”iTunes\’ Single of the Week\” which probably gave a strong example to those unfamiliar with ODESZA\’s work.
3. Bloom
Now, we take a step from the ambiance and uplifting tracks. It\’s not too far of a step though; \”Bloom\” has everything we love from ODESZA, whether it\’s the chill atmosphere or the substantial sampling, though it brings a twist. A heavier sub kick is put to use and the results are simply huge. Blast this tune out of a decent sound system and you\’ll understand what I mean. The energy of this track happily lives side-by-side with the duo\’s signature sound.
4. All We Need
The male vocals provided by Shy Girls are a nice change-up. The rest of this track is pretty much built around these vocals and that\’s not a bad thing at all. The tempo is a little faster than the tracks we\’ve already heard from this album and the background is filled with reverberating knocks and noises.
5. Sundara
Who would have known a track merely two minutes and sixteen seconds long could be so brilliant? \”Sundara\” had me wanting more and that alone speaks wonders for this tune. It begins very similar to one of ODESZA\’s older tracks; \”Above The Middle\” seems to share the same tempo and a near-identical intro with this song. The biggest difference is the track doesn\’t end the way it started. Middle-Eastern sounding vibes become present when the main guitar comes alive. The breakdown is absolutely beautiful as the tempo slows down to deliver a beat worth grooving to.
6. White Lies
\”Cross my heart and hope to die if you ever catch me in a white lie.\”
This track includes my favorite lyrics from the entire album, sang by Jenni Potts. It begins with a familiar beat but evolves into a more modern, future bass track. The percussion is blessed early in the song with a heightening arpeggio; the track then introduces a funky, more aggressive synth before entering a dreamworld. The video game-sounding lead synth welcomes you into a fun, glitchy environment. I forgot to mention that there\’s a fiddle somewhere in the mix and it simply sounds awesome.
7. Kusanagi
I want to start off by saying that \”Kusanagi\” is my favorite of the album and easily one of my all-time favorite ODESZA tunes. The name itself (yes, I just had to look it up) derives from a legendary Japanese swords that translates to both \”clouds of heaven\” and \”grass cutting.\” The beginning of the song is filled with samples of children playing joyfully along with nothing but atmospheric chords. Pleasant chimes begin to fill the air; suddenly, it sounds like something is breaking, similar to a tree branch falling off of a tree. What appears to have broken must have fallen to the ground and created a mind-blowing sub kick that enters the song, accompanied by a gorgeous guitar-sounding lead. I couldn\’t wipe the smile off of my face when I first heard this tune. This tune tells a story; no matter what story it is, there\’s a happy ending.
8. Echoes
We get some more wonderful vocals, this time from the likes of Py. The track quickly brings you into the groove just before a small snare buildup; the track then gains intensity and sends you on a path through the many vocal samples it holds. By now, you should already be familiar with ODESZA\’s sampling strength and style.
9. It\’s Only
This song opens up with an easily distinguishable percussion knock. It\’s quickly filled with some recognizable ODESZA sounds that are glitched to their tastes. Zyra takes on the vocals once again; the track showcases her dynamic voice and proves that she is right for the job. The first \”drop\” includes some uplifting chords with a melody that accommodates the song\’s vibe. The song then takes off and introduces a more fun, jungle-sounding lead that takes you to the end of this track.
10. Koto
This tune immediately brings you into the groove without wasting any time. It starts with a familiar beat that seems to be favored in this entire album accompanied by a future bass lead, the track takes you through a short but vivid adventure. The air is quickly filled with beautiful harps and some of the smoothest background arpeggios I\’ve heard. At some points, it almost sounds like an 8-bit journey through a fantasy video game world, though a little less nerdy and more groovy.
11. Memories That You Call
Back in mid-July of this summer, ODESZA announced \”In Return\” and premiered this track as the first single of the album. \”Memories That You Call\” is nothing short of a spirit-lifting tune. With chopped up atmospheric vocals from Monsoonsiren, this track had me stoked for the release of this proper album; the best way to describe it is straight up happiness captured in a span of four minutes.
12. Sun Models
After hearing the first five seconds of this tune, you\’ll easily recognize it in the future; the beginning of it has a rather familiar yet mysterious feeling, as if I heard it elsewhere. This ends up making the song really catchy and that\’s totally fine with me. \”Sun Models\” has actually been out for nearly seven months now because ODESZA released it as a free download earlier this year; with Madelyn Grant on the vocals, nothing catches summer vibes better than this tune. Oh, it\’s also usually my alarm clock in the morning.
13. For Us
This song brings you right into the album art, watching the sun slowly set on this compilation of tracks. \”For Us\” is treated with vocals from Briana Marela and is a pleasant way of ending a masterpiece; it\’s like a nice cool-down. Near the end of this song, the drum beats and samples stop and the atmospheric sounds along with a number of arpeggios and strings take over. At this point, I\’m sad it has to end and am wanting more.
Dance music is not just repetitive club music with loud kicks and bass drops. There\’s a whole other spectrum of it; the futuristic, groovy, chill, uplifting beats are starting to take over. They may not reach the main-stage because of the mainstream money-making acts, but this new style of music can be artistically appreciated through every listen.
Speaking of style, what makes ODESZA\’s album (and the rest of their work) so appealing to me is their distinctiveness; they keep a style that cannot easily be duplicated. Their style is hard to describe but once you start listening to them more often, you will begin to recognize it and further appreciate the way it\’s implemented. That being said, ODESZA nailed it with one of the biggest albums of the summer. This was the first of their work that was fortunate to be pressed onto vinyl and manufactured CDs; so far, it has seen nothing but success, topping the iTunes Dance chart even before the release.
Discovering new music is all about giving it a chance; I hope you give this album a much-deserved listen as it\’ll open you up to explore the rest of their work. If you can\’t get enough, be sure to check out ODESZA when they come back to Chicago on October 10, 2014 at the Bottom Lounge.
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