The November release of OM Lounge 8 on OM Records, San Francisco, is a collection of smart, soothing rhythms and chilled-out atmosphere. OM is known to be a innovator of the San Francisco sound, signing diverse acts that push the envelope in house, acid-jazz, hip-hop and dance in general. This long-running series has been a ground-breaker in downtempo house, giving a fresher and funkier face to "lounge" music. OM has always has been leader in sexy house music and this new release proves that with without a doubt.
This unmixed artist compilation album features tracks by OM artists Afro-Mystik, Kaskade, Rithma, JBoogie, King Kooba, and the legendary Mark Farina. From the get-go, Zeb treats your ears to a conga and crash cymbal melody they call "The Water and The Sun." It combines soft tones with some harder-edged elements, such as a whistle, to crank it up just a tad. Kaskade serenades your ears with beautiful vocals, acoustic guitars, and real drums, or at least real drum sounds. Rithma takes you on a musicial journey on "Dream Again." He incorporates a soulful vocal laid over a funked-up groove. This genre-busting track is a little house, a little soul, a little R&B, and a lot alright. More of a trip-hop vibe is displayed on the Colossus track "Generally." This song is darker, but comes through with smooth synth riffs that are very pleasing. The international styling of Afro-Mystik shows up on this disk and it is wonderful. The track "Momentary Vision" has hand percussion loops with a broken bassline and some cascading sound effects that really bring this song to life. This quartet is no stranger to house music and includes Chris Smith (DJ Fluid), along with live percussion and vocals.
Mushroom Jazz legend Mark Farina chimes in with a song called "Dream Machine." This rock-inspired track features vocals from Sean Haynes. This song is a great example of Mark Farina's concept and twisted house music. Brilliance! Finishing up this eighth and final installment in the OM Lounge series is Emo with "The Real Thing." This psychedelic downtempo track features some spoken word vocals over a trippy bassline and effects. Nice ending to a classic in West Coast house music.
OM Lounge, I am so sorry to see you go, but hopefully we will get a OM Lounge: Revisited…