OHM was made over the course of three years.
The idea started after touring multiple years with my looping setup. The urge came to create something
di erent: instead of looping everything I wanted to play all the parts live;
basically going back to my roots and skills as a percussionist.
The concept for the music and instrumentation was the first thing I envisioned.
I wanted to join the raw sounds of buzzing balafon bars with deep electronic
bass sounds; ancient, ritual sounds of wood and stone with modern day low-
end kicks.
The goal was to put the listener in a trance-like state by using repetitive
patterns. Also, I wanted to play mind tricks and keep the listener in a state
of limbo, as regarding to where the beat is. I used a lot of Euclidean rhythms:
patterns that have their own cycle and come together every so many times. I
used polyrhythmic pulses that give a di erent perception of time with every
change.
A couple of instruments I had made particularly for this music. A stone
lithophone, as used on track 5, is bringing an enchanting melodic touch. A
small five-note timbila was built for a specific track that didn’t make it to the
album unfortunately. Still, one note was eventually used on track 3. A marimba
with only three bars became the basis for track 7.
The deeper I went into creating this performance the more it occurred to me
I wanted to make a performance that had a social message as well. In these
times where we face an overkill of triggers and bite-sized fragments, I wanted
to create a long-spanned, continuous performance. Something that takes the
listener out of the hectic pulse of our society and creates an almost meditative
trip. A modern day ritual sound bath, without it becoming all too esoteric.
While developing the live show I started adding in sonic installation elements
that I had experimented with before. Speakers stripped from their cabinet
and placed horizontally, functioning as activators for percussion objects that
I placed on top. The frequency from the speaker sets the instrument in motion
and thus creating a kinetic sound from an electronic source. Live, this creates
a lot of dimensional depth; as a spectator you can really pinpoint the specific
location of the sound.
A similar concept was used with attaching exciters (speakers without the cone
basically) onto thin metal sheets. In the percussion world they are referred to
as ‘thunder sheets’ - they kind of emulate the sound of thunder when shaking
them. In this instance the exciter is sending vibrations through the metal plate,
turning the plate into a speaker. What I love about this, is that opposed to the
speakers that are designed to give no ‘color’ to the sound whatsoever, these
plates give them a very strong metallic color. As with the speakers, the plates
give their own color and distinct placement in the room as if it were musicians
playing with interpretation.
Lastly, in my research for this installation I stumbled upon work by
multidisciplinary visual artist Henk Schut. He applied the same technique to
larger stainless steel plates. The way they are curved gives them a unique
sound and they look gorgeous as well. We immediately had a great connection
and I am very happy he let me incorporate eight of these mirror plates in my
setup.
All of these objects were used in the recording of this album, and continue to be
part of the live performance.
I hope this album may strike you as an experience.
May it bring calmness, healing or just sonic joy.
Binkbeats