SLICE

Description

O. the London-based duo of baritone saxophonist Joseph Henwood and drummer Tash Keary release SLICE, their first EP, on Speedy Wunderground. Coming hot on the heels of last Novembers debut single, OGO which won enthusiastic support from Stereogum, Loud & Quiet, DJ and NME SLICE is a fourtrack snapshot of the duos first two years of existence. Slice and Grouchy turn sax and drums into pneumatic patterns of riff and rhythm that draw from the muscular viscerality of metal and the dancefloor dynamics of build and drop. Moon, meanwhile, snakes a limber saxophone line through a variety of dub production styles. And the closing ATM takes up a familiar melody with subversive intent, repurposing it into something that swings from beauty to rage and back again. Says Tash: We played loads of gigs before we ever got in the studio, so we had lots of tracks to choose from. We picked these four because theyre all quite different from one another, while showing off all the styles we like to play. The pair recorded the EP live with Speedy Wundergrounds Dan Carey at his South London studio. Following the recording, the three subjected the tracks to an array of post-production tricks, making full use Careys enviable selection of vintage dub production units. Dans got a full collection of spring reverbs, tape delays, digital delays, bucket brigade delays and plate reverbs, says Joe. We dont see ourselves as a dub group or anything like that, but we both really love heavy, bass-driven music, and none of this stuff would exist without King Tubby. As the circular simplicity of their name suggests, O. are a true self-contained unit. They formed in London during Lockdown, when Joe and Tash both veterans of a string of London ensembles found themselves in a bubble together. When they started jamming, it was with no preconceptions: dont overthink it, just play and see what happens. Before long, though, they were augmenting live instruments with effects Joe routing his saxophone through a pedal board, Tash treating her drums with reverb and delay. As their sound grew and grew, it gradually became clear there wouldnt be space for anyone else. O. played their first show at Brixton Windmill, and the venues booker Tim Perry invited them back to support Black Midi. Immediately after their set, Black Midis Morgan Simpson invited them out on tour around the UK and Europe a true trial by fire. I think our fifth gig was at Alexandra Palace it was terrifying, remembers Tash. But the main thing we learned was that we can be as weird as we want to be. Black Midis whole approach is that its OK to be playful. We both really liked that, because theres a playfulness to our music, too. It was this experimental urge that saw Joe and Tash run their own nights, O Zone, at Brixton Windmill collaborative live sessions that saw O. improvise onstage with luminaries including Nerijas Rosie Turton, Edna from Goat Girl, Melt Yourself Downs Pete Wareham and Steam Downs Wonky Logic. Following a tour with Dublins Gilla Band, though, O.s music has just been getting heavier, louder, more intense. People have come to see us and said theyve enjoyed the fact it feels about two centimetres from falling apart, says Tash. With two instruments, you have to push yourself, physically, right to the edge to keep it interesting. But we enjoy that challenge. Available to independent retailers on black vinyl LP.