The name Colorize has come to mean sounds that are on the cutting edge of progressive house and blur the lines between dreamy and mysterious harmonies. Oliver Wickham, a Canadian producer and singer, is a relative newcomer to the scene, but his latest release on the respected label shows a musical growth and artistic vision that belies his youth.
Wickham’s first EP as a solo artist is a captivating three-track journey. It shows how deep and dynamic he is as an artist. From the first few notes, it’s clear that we’re going to have a musical experience that goes beyond typical song structures and styles.
The EP: Let’s Go Back / Machines / Heart
“Let’s Go Back,” the first song on the EP, takes the listener right away to a lush, cinematic environment painted in widescreen sounds. Thunderous basslines rumble with an almost tectonic force. All these sounds give Wickham’s carefully layered grooves a solid base on which to pivot and undulate. A beautiful synth tune rises and falls like a vapor trail, calming and hypnotic at the same time. Scattering percussion hits give the smoothness an exhilarating sense of movement. It’s a tempting way to start, hinting at big areas that haven’t been explored yet.
If you’re feeling a little too comfortable, the second song on the EP, “Machines,” will break you out of it. From the first sounds on, there is a feeling of dread and digital menace. It’s like hearing the future of cyberpunk in music. Wickham’s vocals repeat the scary theme “the machines are coming,” and industrial clangs and whirrs come together to make an uprising metallic beat over which cold machine zombies of melody stagger. When you think that all humanity has been taken away, soft piano refrains cut through the sound like beams of light, their melancholy refrains going straight to your soul. The way the emotions are juxtaposed and the different types of music blend so well that the viewer is both haunted and riveted.
While “Heart And Mind” is a beautiful song, it’s the last one that really shows how talented Wickham is. It’s an amazing singing performance built on top of a very funky progressive house groove. It’s an example of hooks, melodies, and atmospheres. They are all meant to make you feel good. Wickham’s vocals soar and glide through a maze of catchy harmonic motifs and carefully processed loops, holding the rhythm in place and breaking it up with virtuosic energy. In the fantastic last few seconds of the song, angelic choirs rise above a flood of arpeggiated joy and rubber-band basslines. It’s rapturous music played with superb poise and control.
Oliver Wickham‘s first EP on Colorize is a thrillingly broad statement that moves smoothly across stylistic lines in a scene that is often divided into narrow sub-genres and microniches. With sound design that is as precise as a surgeon and music and ambiance that are almost like paintings, he’s made a debut that is greater than the sum of its parts. This beautiful three-track odyssey from a big new talent is required listening for anyone looking for truly progressive and emotional electronica.
