Oath Electronic & Dance 13 Items

A glowed embrace, a mystifying meander through twilight spaces, dipping between the shadows and the orange light, waiting for the moment when smiles abound and feelings muster. Certain artists create.

Finnish electronic artist Blomfelt drops the anticipated "I’m Interested In Apathy" LP, exploring fleeting moments and childhood memories across diverse tracks like "Second Life" and "A Vision." It's a rich journey through electronic music, blending certainty with introspective tones.

"Serendipia", Beltran’s new LP, carries forward the ideals of Sol Set and reignites the quietly evolving flames that were lit last year, and as an elaboration on his craft and its sound it’s really quite something.

Loz Goddard is welcoming the new year with a colorful and optimistic record filled with earthy tones, setting the scenes for much-needed musical regrowth in the early stages of 2022.

For their second release, Oath welcomes Berlin-based producer Moomin; who brings forward a three-track EP entitled ‘The Snoofer’. Alongside three original tracks, UK producer Seb Wildblood also provides a remix for ‘For Willow'. The title track, ‘The Snoofer’, wades through squelching percussion and deep swinging grooves as underlying synth-lines remain marching alongside locked kicks and fluctuating bass. Arriving at ‘For Willow’, Moomin delivers a hazy, serene Hang Drum melody that tumbles and fades away, opening space for wispy pads and steady drum furrows. Multiple label head and mainstay UK producer, Seb Wildblood, known for his distinct house style; offers up a soothing remix for ‘For Willow’. Steeped in warmth, the track sways back and forth from the blanket of pads to the syncopated rhythms of the instrumentation. For ‘Breathe’, we see Moomin layering arpeggios and live drum cadences that seem to melt and mold together, floating and falling yet unwavering and firm.

For our introductory adventure into the new label ‘Oath’, Hidden Spheres – forger of anthemic grooves – takes us on a four-track joyful journey through relaxation and movement. Title piece, ‘Breathing Deep’, foreshadows the EP and the label with a lounge-y, afro atmosphere thrown into a second half of gloopy acid. The track builds and builds, going from soft keys to intense stabs and a frenzy of percussion. ‘Tiamo’ is a big breath out: heady, swirling synths and hippie-like vocals lay you down next to the campfire as the sun sets. In the second half of the release, the relentless groove of ‘Ruhani’ sees a jazz break swing next to another serving of seductive acid and soon, in true Hidden Spheres style, - things get real intense real fast. Finally,‘Believe’ rounds things off with a cool-off of lazy keys and loose drums centred around a dreamy saxophone.

2024 gets underway, Oath are thrilled to share the imprint’s latest long play, which comes courtesy of rising star Moonee – and you better believe its a solid gold stunner…

Francois Lefevre, the producer behind the Moonee name – alongside his group projects Twice Movement and Simple Request (with French House royalty Tour-Maubourg) – really optimizes all that is bold and beautiful about the House genre. The release of ‘Wabi Sabi’ on Groovence in 2022, then ‘Primal Groove’ on Slothboogie last year, has already helped Lefevre craft a significant space for himself under the Moonee name. His sound is one of tremendous melodic feel, with a plethora of rhythmic patterns and atmospheres being utilised to help create a bountiful sonic universe. His attention to how the groove unravels and how progression can be used softly but subtly really comes over strong, immersing the listener in a very warm place indeed. As beginnings to discographies go, this start is immensely strong, and one which provides a rock solid basis for all sorts of excellence to come forth.

‘Sandquest’ provides the next step in the journey for Moonee, and as LPs go it contains the same kind of depth as his first two EPs, but on display is a kind of magic that producers really harness on long plays. The record is encapsulated in the fundamentals of house, but to say that it sticks to a singular formula would be to do it a massive disservice – Moonee leaves nothing unturned when it comes to serving up the goods. Broken Beat and skippin’ rhythms play a big part in breaking up the uptempo numbers, as as a balancing act its handled very well indeed. The melodic usage is expertly handled on all tracks, and when breaking down the record you can feel that the journey from track to track has been considered superbly – be it in the club or at home.

‘Ouzo’ kicks the album off, and this number helps the listener land with two feet in the experience. The broken drums are spacious, allowing for all manner of wondrous melodic lines to drift in and out of view – delicately poised, numerous and effective, everything you could wish for from an opener. ‘Balagne’ then lands, and this one moves into familiar territories as we sweep through into a beautiful house cut, with the drums ringing true alongside some inspired key work. ‘Light on Earth’ keeps the vibes going on strong, with an expressive opening salvo opening up into a similar atmosphere that grows and grows, sweeping across the horizon line with delight. ‘Black Roses’ is next, and this one presents a warped yet beguiling shift through an intriguing atmosphere – drifting along, not a care in the world, glorious.

‘Arcadie’ then lands, and this one speaks softly but beautifully. The drums cast a long shadow, swinging along with plenty of room for the glorious keys to come into view, and its a track you will want to dip your head into time and time again. The title track then arrives, which immediately places the listener in a fast paced, emotive soundscape, one which bubbles along the top ends and gives such feels, no matter what context. ‘Evening World’ perfectly captures the feeling of that late evening early morning sway, with deep set drums being served under a gorgeous repeating chordal arrangement. To wrap the experience up, we have ‘Abundance’, and this track is 7 minutes of acid-y, grooving excellence – a perfect ender to a truly wicked album.

Two EPs down, and now this fantastic long play. Moonee really flexed his style and craft on this record, one which constantly delighted at every turn, providing an enriching spectrum of sounds that stick true to his production technique and to his craft. Not for one second do you stand still, but merely carried along on a wave of melodic euphoria, simply pleased to be along for the ride. The dips from heavy hitting though to softly spoken at handled so well, and as a result we are left with a pretty damn good way to enter in 2024. Winter has arrived, but warm your heart with this stunner.

Jakob Apelian's 'Sensible Chaos' on Oath showcases his evolution from experimenting with an Akai MPC 3000 to crafting captivating sonic landscapes across genres, offering a mesmerizing blend of grooves and emotive tones.

On his second excursion for Oath, Manchester-based producer Loz Goddard continues to nurture the clubby side of his sound with a razor-sharp and bombastic EP that contains all you could ever wish for when it comes to breaks, euphoria, and sonic depth….

As a producer, Loz has operated under a number of guises, but one thing has always remained – his elegant and inspired application of melody. His early career was marked by a number of superb releases on labels such as Church, Tusk Wax, Apparel and many more, all of which highlighted a deep affection for groove, tone and atmosphere. The music largely operated within the realms of Deep House – at times spilling over into Nu-Disco – but there was always a little bit of shine on each EP that pointed to other spheres of influence, and it was these references points that made Loz Goddard’s music feel broad, considered and introspective. The music appealed on many levels and provided plenty of worlds and spaces in which listeners could get deeply involved within, and this journey is filled with beautifully polished gems that can be held and admired in your hands time and time again.

A two-year break from releases resulted in the release of ‘Ballon Tree Road’, his debut LP and first release on Oath, and to say the record was a step forward would be an enormous understatement. Here Loz Goddard set down a marker of things to come, as he drew from the melodic outlays that were a cornerstone of his discography to date and permeated these through a spectrum of styles and rhythms that represent everything good about a dance music record. You had the quiet moments, the heart-felt moments, the pure and powerful moments, with Loz exploring everything from Breaks to Ambient, Broken Beat to House, and even some D’n’B thrown in for good measure. This was a marker if there ever was one, and it firmly established Loz’s second era phase, one where his abilities were given space to shine on a much broader scale.

‘Are We Ever Leaving Here?’ builds upon the energies found within his debut LP, providing a bitesize experience that aims itself directly at the dance floor – but listening at home provides a lot of scope for inward escapism. The EP presents three original cuts, of which the title track gets things going – a deep set, resonating chord gets things going, which fans out to include additions to the sequence, and before long the breaks come into play, achieving lift-off and welcoming you firmly into the experience. ‘Parallaxing’ really evokes that firm set 90s Techno sound, with a hard-as-nails rhythm section (with hats aplenty) providing a basis for acid lines, swelling backroom chords and gorgeous interplays between synth lines – the way in which this song peaks is utterly glorious. ‘Space Nugz’ takes things down a notch, but keeps things heavy yet delicate. The beat here is cavernous, diving deep down within the strata along with the bass line that keeps proceedings ticking over. The melodic top layer is spacey, drifting between the ethereal and the real, enticing the listener to leave this plane and pursue a new life in another galaxy.

To round off the experience, there are two remixes from Casa Voyager head OCB, and Bristol-based producer Boulderhead, and they do not disappoint. OCB puts his spin on the title track, and the BPM gets pushed to its max, with the vibe pulled apart and rebuilt as a heads-down, floor-smashing proggy roller. Boulderhead focuses on ‘Space Nugz’, and here the groove is once again flipped on its head, with the remix pushing into the realms of dreamy chuggy techno, with the melodies filling up the spaces so beautifully.

Loz Goddard started something beautiful with his debut LP, and saw his sonics reach new heights and touch new depths. This EP keeps the flames burning bright, with expertly crafted dynamics and his signature melodic abilities on full display, with the two remixes adding much to the experience. As a mini-experience, it’s hard to beat, and it only sets the heart racing for what might come next – for the meanwhile, Oath are incredibly proud to facilitate this beautiful new experience from Loz Goddard, and its one hopefully to be enjoyed at a few spots this summer…..

Gacha Bakradze has also looked for a greater meaning in his music, be it in terms of sonics, scope or indeed how everything flows and meanders from one source to the next.

Seb Wildblood kicks off the year with his ‘vitara 3000’ EP, a dispatch loaded with three atmospheric cuts which seamlessly dive between sounds of nostalgia, broken beat, and euphoric melodies. The three-tracker via Istanbul-based Oath is his first release since dropping his warmly-received sophomore LP ‘do you feel it too?’ on all my thoughts.

‘This EP was born out of having the first solid space to be creative in since moving to LA from London. There’s a call and response element to the record via vitara 3000, which refers back to my last album ‘do you feel it too?’ that came out in May via the vocal sample. I see my catalog/discography in phases, and for me, this EP reflects the final few chapters of the sound and energy I’ve been exploring over the last 18 months or so.’ – Seb Wildblood.

‘floor science’ is the first to drop listeners into Seb’s kaleidoscopic soundscape, indulging ears with a scintillating, high-energy cut that’s inspired by tech house of the noughties. The title track ‘vitara 3000’ trips into a blissful place, where the question posed by Seb’s second LP is answered in the euphoric flight of the vocal, literally calling out, “I can feel!” New studio space and a grab for new studio gear gave creative steam to ‘re-location.zip’, a track that radiates with new beginnings from the elevating chords to the skittering synths and soaring vocals.

“Staying true to his house roots, Cosmonection maintains a blissful and richly textured theme, conjuring memories of sunny mornings and worry-free days at the beach; one for the dreamers and house heads alike.”