Oiapok - 2023 - OisoL​ü​n

(38:39; Original Music Records)

Here we have the debut album from French progressive band Oiapok, but they actually see themselves as the logical next step from the band Camembert who released two albums with some of the same members. They have a very interesting line-up in Etienne Agard (trombone), Fréderic Durrmann (trombone, whistling), Mélanie Gerber (vocals), Guillaume Gravelin (harp),  Clarissa Imperatore (xylophone, vibraphone, flutes, percussion), Matthieu Lenormand (drums), Valentin Sylvain Metz (guitars), Pierre Wawrzyniak (bass) and Paolo Ske Botta (additional keyboards). This is RIO and jazz influenced Canterbury which has been massively influenced by Zappa, and the band name is apparently a neologism, a semantic shifting between the Guyanese river Oyapock, the cradle of fearless adventurers, a wild, exciting and dangerous place, and the belt of the Chariclo asteroid, Oiapoque, whose orbit crosses that of the outer planets of the solar system.  

If that sounds like a little too much to take in, then possibly this album is not for you as this is progressive music which is truly that, beautiful at times and challenging at others, but never resting and always looking to push boundaries. The harp and xylophone are not there for some nuances but are often at the very heart of the music, with horns and other instruments building around. There is a great deal of space within the music, plenty of separation, while Mélanie  has a wonderful breathy and clear style which feels very French indeed, inviting us in for adventures of the musical kind. It feels as if it has come out of the Sixties beat scene and is made for small clubs to be played in front of enthusiasts as opposed to arenas. This is music which feels as if it has some age to it, as opposed to a brand-new album which has only just come out – some of the vocals feel as if they have been lifted straight from the old Pearl & Dean cinema adverts we used to suffer, with the same high harmonies.

This is an album which definitely benefits being played on headphones as there is so much going on the in the background that it would be easy to lose tracks unless one’s attention is concentrated. Camembert had quite a gap between their albums and let us hope these guys are not as tardy as this is a very interesting release indeed.

Kev Rowland, September 2023

Links:
https://oiapok.com/