An album worth continuous rotation, шон ventures through layers upon layers of carefully woven instrumental ambient textures—its lively mood and improvised trajectory brim with activity as it takes a snapshot of the past.
шон means “Poles” in Mongolia dialect, and the release page also notes that “it’s the first and it will be certainly the only one album from Otto Solange.” Not sure why this would be. Nonetheless, having the opportunity to delve into this strangely captivating album made from hundreds of found sounds, and abstract samples, шон also spotlights chilled downtempo experimental strains.
Each piece its own foray into the unknown, curious pathways are explored. Tangled hip-hop moments are spread throughout while ambient textures and electroacoustic tones’n drones detune along the way to elicit a certain nostalgic flare—take “Why The Stars Glow Above Iowa” as a good example. Reminiscent of early Mille Plateaux days via its Clicks + Cuts series, Otto Solange ventures through (similar) times go by. Instrumental moments flicker about as noted on the guitar strumming hypnotism of “What Does it Feels” to the kosmiche-infused “Ever Round, It turns, he Goes To Sleep” with its Middle Eastern motif, weaving downbeat groove, and fractured vocal samples lapping each other.
Any yet it’s not easy to tag шон, nor should it be in the first place. Tracks like the aptly-titled “Magnetic Interlude” deliver crisp drums and disjointed blips and bleeps in a brief 70-second duration and leaves a lasting sonic footprint. But just when you thought everything was beginning to align, Otto Solange scuffles about with an alluring lounge-infused slice of life that feels off center yet in tune with its jazzier self on “Southcliffe, Light Falls.” The drifting bells and downtrodden beats of “Eisoverstaub” create an expansive traverse that is simple yet mesmerizing.
An album worth continuous rotation, шон ventures through layers upon layers of carefully woven instrumental ambient textures—its lively mood and improvised trajectory brim with activity as it takes a snapshot of the past. A resounding album this surely is—шон exudes elements of yesteryear. At once close to home, cozy, and tucked away for the listener to examine at a leisurely pace, we hope Otto Solange has more to offer in the near future. If “e.vo” doesn’t strike an emotional response, we’re not sure what else will. A fascinating release of kaleidoscopic notes.
шон is available on eilean rec..
