Oceaán - Oceaán

Seven months ago, mysterious Manchester based producer Oceaán (aka Oliver Cean) announced himself with ‘Need U’, sent out to the world with love and consideration. A heart-wrenching and hazy track, it convinced many that Cean held an ambition to go up against heavyweights of the genre. Returning in 2014 with his self-titled EP, Oceaán sounds ready to go the full distance.

Trusting individual uniqueness challenges you to lay yourself open and Cean certainly lays all his cards out. ‘On Your Side’ and ‘Need U’ possess lyrics of earnestness and yearning, mixed with a cacophony of layered rhythms that nod to West African music and genres further afield. ‘To Lose’, Cean’s 2014 comeback, is a tale of real pathos and fragility, with ghostly vocals mixed in a veil of synthesised sub-bass, snaps and claps. ‘Basement’ is an underground club hit waiting to happen, with reference to two-step rhythms that would encourage James Blake to get up out of his seat. ‘Turned Away’ marries more enshrouded ambience with dance-floor sensibilities, bookending the release with distorted beats that are dense and immediate.

It’s a remarkably balanced release with so much ground covered in so few steps.