MENTAL COMBAT

OMEGA ONE - The Lo-Fi Chronicles
NATURE SOUNDS. 2005.

Omega One (Owen Brozman) is a graff writer & a very skillful deejay from New York who produced Coma on Aesop Rock's 2001 debut, Labor Days & the song, Skip Town on his 2002 release Float. As he did with Aesops albums, he also provided the scratches for Blockhead's Music By Cavelight & they teamed-up for a project entitled, We Didn't Invent The Remix. Admittedly they do share a musical similarity & I should really give some props to Block's recent album, Downtown Science as well. Cannibal Ox & I Self Devine have also benefited from his production talent. Devine is one of only 2 emcees on this album. The other being Lo-Deck. I was already to claim Maker's album, Shooting the Breeze as the instrumental album of the year, until this appeared. Though I do rate both equally.

There's something quite magnetic about his earthy style & his lack for any need of pointless production trickery or electronic noodling. He prefers the classic style of laying loops & creating drums from chopped up beats. The cover might indicate that it is alien & spacey & to a degree it is, but more in it's mood & choice of dialogue samples, less in any use of electronic sounds. Omega prefers the more organic use of strictly sampling vinyl to a high degree. Some tracks sound like the end result of a horde of conquistadors raiding villages in search of 2nd hand vinyl. The track Body Double does evoke a sense of dread in that it sounds like the soundtrack to a film like Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Them. Check the videoclip for what I mean. It's a rollicking adventure for those who like their instro hip hop, so I implore you to bypass that Ninja Tunes record for a change get something else. It was mixed by Fred Ones of Sonic Sum.

I've upped the track Memento because for me it works on so many levels. The violin loop just kills me. I feel like crying everytime I hear it. It's like I remember the loss of my cat when I hear it. Yeah, a cat. So what! We were connected. And the shuffling drums mixed with the emotionally tugging piano murders my brain. Some people might find it unspectacular because it isn't all about pushing the envelope in regards to technique. Fuck technique, give me something from the heart instead. I love the dialogue sample from the tv show, Six Feet Under ala the Uncle Gunter bit on T.A.B. Cool shit. An album I needed on Vinyl & CD.

And he did the dope cover art as well.

• Nature Sounds website

• MP3: OMEGA ONE - Memento
• MP3: COMMON - Resurrection
From the We Invented the Remix CD.
• VIDEO: OMEGA ONE - Body Double
This is basically a cut up of several 50s sci-fi films. Kinda cool if you are a fan of those films.