OVAL - Scis LP / Eksploio EP

thrill jockey just announced two new OVAL releases (EP in november, full-length in 2020). here's what they write about it; sadly no preview samples yet though. I'm cautiously excited about this; early oval up to process/commers is still some of my all-time favourite music, which made his last few releases just the more dissappointing (and i'm not even talking about popp's new career path as a self-help guru / 'creativity coach'....). a return to form would be much appreciated.

I'm really excited for this! I didnt particularly care for O or Voa, but Popp blew me away. Played loud it's an incredibly immersive set of tracks. Every time I put it on I notice new details and hidden layers. Cautiously optimistic that he expands on that sound and doesn't return to the sleepy electro-acoustic stuff.

Popp is an incredible record, always curious and interested in where Markus goes next - even when his records seem like slight missteps, you can never fault him for trying new things out.

  On 10/23/2019 at 2:04 AM, Mellow U said:

Popp is an incredible record, always curious and interested in where Markus goes next - even when his records seem like slight missteps, you can never fault him for trying new things out.

not saying that popp is a bad album, it just basically sounds like sth that could have been released 15 years ago

I disagree. But no one is going to look at a Pollock and see the same things either, so I think that's somewhat by design. 

Preorders up on his bandcamp as well. (Still no preview samples.)

Looks like if you order from Thrill Jockey's site before Nov 8 you get the accompanying EP as a free download.

https://thrilljockey.com/products/scis

Preview trailer up.

Sounds suitably wacky. Bought.

ep is out and streaming on bandcamp

Album is out now and it's great! Very intricate and detailed, as we've come to expect. Sound design is in a similar vein to Popp, but less directly clubby, and without the breathy computer voices over everything. There's a lot of different dynamics throughout - some soft pretty stuff, some very crazy noisy parts, some recognizable instrumentation, some pure digital effects. In general there's a ton going on and I'm sure it'll take a few listens to wrap my head around. I can't even begin to imagine how much work he must put into creating these tracks. But overall, highly recommended, especially if you liked the last one!

nice! will check it out for sure

Scis is a sound design wonderland. What you would hope Thrill Jockey releases might sound like in the 2020s.

Abrasive and saccharine in equal measures. As if Freeform and Tortoise were jamming together in 1995 and fell through a wormhole into 2020...and kept jamming.

Well done, Markus.

  On 1/20/2020 at 3:11 AM, Extralife said:

Scis is a sound design wonderland. What you would hope Thrill Jockey releases might sound like in the 2020s.

Abrasive and saccharine in equal measures. As if Freeform and Tortoise were jamming together in 1995 and fell through a wormhole into 2020...and kept jamming.

Well done, Markus.

yeah it's actually way better than i expected.  as with POPP before, i also feel a certain influence of early 2000's japanese stuff like takagi masakatsu or nobukazu takemura. still not a big fan of that awkward drum programming though, sounds like 14yo me jamming presets on my fruity loops demo.

The Freeform comparison is pretty apt actually, I hadn't thought of that. Similarly, these tracks don't so much develop in a traditional sense ; rather it feels like they shift around and iterate on themselves for a bit and then move on. It's less like listening to an album, and more like touring through a bunch of individual worlds for bits at a time. I think the consistent bpm might be reflective of that intent.

Heard this a couple hours ago, my first album ever from Oval, and it’s good but I’m 100% sure this is not their best. I could do without some of the repetitive beats that sound a bit EDM-ish (probably deconstructed club coming into play but its scattered throughout half the tracks such as Twirror, Oxagon and Piqqo for example), but I don’t hate this album. I had plenty of enjoyment from it, especially tracks 4-8. Cute album cover too

well yeh,  Systemisch is Oval's best

  On 1/23/2020 at 2:39 PM, nikisoko said:

well yeh,  Systemisch is Oval's best

i'd vote for 94diskont and ovalprocess, but tbh everything they/he released from systemisch to ovalcommers is absolutely essential.

hehe... 1994-2004 best decade in electronic music history

  On 1/20/2020 at 9:27 AM, kieselguhr kid said:

 

yeah it's actually way better than i expected.  as with POPP before, i also feel a certain influence of early 2000's japanese stuff like takagi masakatsu or nobukazu takemura. still not a big fan of that awkward drum programming though, sounds like 14yo me jamming presets on my fruity loops demo.

If you'll allow me to go slightly off-topic, can you namedrop some more early 2000's japanese artists that you'd put in the same list? I'm very curious as I'm always pining for more Takemura-esque stuff but rarely find it.

  On 10/12/2020 at 4:27 PM, th555 said:

If you'll allow me to go slightly off-topic, can you namedrop some more early 2000's japanese artists that you'd put in the same list? I'm very curious as I'm always pining for more Takemura-esque stuff but rarely find it.

yoshihiro hanno maybe? some very poppy stuff, some more to the glitch techno side

ogurusu norihide

also, i you haven't heard it, i highly recommend SO (markus popp & eriko toyoda), wonderful album

Thanks, you're the man

Yeah So is quite lovely indeed.