Conduct – Oma [REVIEW]

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oma

Let’s be honest about the fact that no one is making Drum & bass like Conduct at the moment.

The ingenious duo dazzled the drum & bass world with their ‘Borderlands’ LP and it turned out to be one of the best drum & bass albums of 2016.

Following their success with ‘Borderlands’, Conduct dropped their highly-anticipated second major work ‘Oma’ via Blu Mar Ten Music.

The work behind ‘Oma’ is distinctive, meticulous and emotional; but if you are an ardent follower of Conduct, you won’t be surprised experiencing the depth and emotive power of the album.

READ: Interview with Conduct

If you are looking for an industrious hard hitting drum & bass album, then you are in for disappointment because ‘Oma’ musical richness is second to none. Conduct, along with label mates Kimyan Law and Fredric Robinson have redefined how we perceive drum & bass and their immense musical background is evident in their work.

The Opener, ‘Welcome In’ carries a gloomy vocal bassline, paired with flat vocals and shimmering synths, inviting the listener to delve into a soul-stirring journey they have never experienced before. The atmospheric mood of the tune moves to a sumptuous drop filled with captivating drums, immediately sucking the listener into the album.

Moving forward to the second track, ‘The Rain, It Come featuring Rick, you will be blown away by the meticulous use of halftime beats and tribal and eastern influences which is evident throughout the album. Beginning with haunting airy vocal samples, the track straight up hits you with melodies leaving you anticipated for the rest of the track. The drop is as powerful as the intro consisting of a rumbling bassline and shrinking vocal effects. This track is special.

Moving on, ‘Out Of The Blue’, takes the listener through a melodic journey, further exemplifying the duo’s supremacy in delivering high octane beats.

‘Overprint’ is an example of a distinct quality Conduct possess; Creating ambient, liquid atmospheres and infusing them in seriously good half-time numbers without losing its electronic exclusivity. Loaded with sophisticated rhythms in simple drum patterns, ‘Overprint’ is one of our favorites from the album.

Moving on to our favorite part of the album. ‘Shards’ and ‘Uharibifu’ according to us, define the entire album. ‘Shards’ expounds the meaning of the title ‘Oma’. Both Chris and Andrew went through turbulent emotional times and the emotive power behind ‘Shards’ explains the struggle pouring out in the most positive and graceful manner.
Uharibifu’ is by far our favorite from the album and it deserves special consideration. First few seconds in the track make you feel that you are in for something special. Conduct’s tribal influences infused with rejected half time beats have been dispensed in the best way we could imagine. Yet again, rumbling basslines coupled with powerful snares and hi-hats, ‘Uharibifu’ has the potential of extruding energy you might need in your darkest times.

When we look back at the struggle Conduct went through while writing the album, right from losing their loved to staying in the studio for nine months, then to come up and deliver an album with such positivity, is nothing but stupendous. Overall, the album is an immense piece of work and the heartbreaking instrumentations are guaranteed to make ‘Oma’ one of the most notable drum & bass albums of 2017.

Download the album here.

Sagar Deshmukh
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