Review on OCO “Beyond Dust and Bones”

“Writing a review Beyond Dust and Bones is something of a challenge. Not only there is much to say but also it requires going deep and complex where words fail the experience. We all know there’s nothing like the work of art itself to say what’s it all about, but this one is talking in tongues. The amount of diverse mystical references and the mix of sounds is so particular that it won’t fit onto a genre, nor will it be identified with a specific geography.

Is this world music as one would say, trying to keep up with the trend? It could perfectly well fit among Peter Gabriel’s Real World collection. Sândalo and Ottök point us in that direction. But this goes beyond that. And it also goes beyond what could be seen as ECM space jazz style, present in Seda. The whole thing is a summoning ritual that is more akin to the Indo-Arabic devotional music, which can be felt in Hollow and Light Textures, and not as much to a ‘worldly’ kind of quality one might find in Amulet, which is the right track for presentation as OCO smartly saw. Balance recalls contemporary erudite ambiences with its experiments within ethnic and jazzy heritage. There is also a strong electronic presence with roots in ambient and trance, such as Hongowo in its preparatory stages for ritual practice… more”

Alban Hall: Voice, Overtone Singing, Didgeridoo, Harmonium, Harmonica, Melodica, Ocarina and small percussions.

Pedro Soares: Overtone Singing, Kotamo, Didgeridoo, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Jews Harp, Gong and small percussions.

Rui Martins: Sitar, Portuguese Guitar, Sansula, Jews Harp and small percussions.

Jorge Machado: Udu Drum, Water Drum, Darbuka, Tank Drum, Frame Drum, Bongós, Electronic Percussion and small percussions.

Sérgio Walgood: Electronic Production and Semi Accoustic Guitar.

Written and produced by OCO
Mixed and Mastered by Sérgio Walgood
Artwork by Carlos Garcia