Omar-S: Romancing The Stone Vinyl 2x12"

Four track double vinyl EP of new material from Detroit's Omar-S. For an artist that once said, "None of that sh*t to me sounds good anymore, nothing, not even my own music," Omar-S has put out a lot of material over the past few years. Amongst all of that output Romancing The Stone! is a particularly perplexing and beguiling release. The four tracks sound about as disparate from each as anything he's released. It's as if they were made in completely different years on different pieces of gear. For those that have been digging the producer's recent releases the title track fits firmly in that mold. Warm strings and organ stabs ride a 909 beat as the track reveals itself. "Frogs" takes things to a completely different world. It starts off as a muted disco edit that slowly gets abducted by an ailing 303. Weird and strange, the track could work wonders in the hands of the right DJ. It's a toss up as to what might be the EP's high-point. Some may go for the title track while others may turn to "Surpass," a slowly building piano house tune that plays perfectly with tension and release. It rides some choppy, syncopated percussion before opening up at the 5 minute mark. "Leave" is probably the most straightforward of all of the tracks and does not seem like it would be out of place on a Sex Tags release. A welcome release from Alex O. Smith.

• music label: FXHE Records 2014

reviewed by Joey Coco 04/2014