Oslo Tapes - 2023 - Staring at the Sun Before Goin' Blind [mini-review]

(45:49; Grazil Records)

Italian band Oslo Tapes are out with the album "Staring at the Sun Before Goin' Blind", and progressive rock is probably the best manner in which to define the landscapes explored on this production. The songs here combine lesser and more defined elements from a myriad of different possible sources. The moods and atmospheres have a bit of the relaxed attitude one might find in ambient music, but here used in more energetic settings. The repetitive elements from krautrock find their way into these compositions, and more contemporary rhythm elements are used just as much as rhythms with a bit more of a tribal touch to them. Noise effects have a natural place here, but a wide array of cosmic effects and a little bit of the playfulness from bands such as Ozric Tentacles is a part of the experience too. And beneath it all, as something of a constant element, we have a bit of what I'd describe as a post-punk backbone, although present in a few different manners ranging from the bass line in some cases to the guitar sound in others, the vocal style in some instances and the overall mood and atmosphere elsewhere. If you can imagine a slightly ambient flavored variety of Ozric Tentacles given a post-punk orientation and find that description to be intriguing, chances are good that you'll find this album to be a rewarding one.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, December 2023

Links:
https://oslotapes.it/
https://www.grazil.at/