"Beyond Dust and Bones", 2014 | http://www.ocosounds.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-dust-and-bones Video-Clip "Amulet" | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CouRkLtEaQI OCO "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, Chaidub with a clear dub structure and rhythm, Ounão with hope and prosperity and a pure ambient in Liquid State. We have to disagree with the idea that this is world music since that would be over simplifying. This is an amazing journey through a wide fusion of genre! From the modern day city raga & tala in the style of British-Indian influence music to swirling dervishes and the stark rhythms of trance. The men who speak the language of planets on the hollow trunk. Vibrating hides from south shores of the old sea. Sub-Saharan singing of griot storytelling with a tint of blues on a clear influence from the great Mali masters. The voice of the earth Beyond Dust and Bones. This is the first release of OCO with Sérgio Walgood, tripping to the story of those who adventure themselves into the unknown, and then seem to be finding the right path. OCO, which means hollow, are nothing like hollow in this amazing set of references, packed with joy and creativity. They are inventive but not experimental to the point of losing consistency and balance. This is high standard compositional material! Just as brilliant as any of the best projects of the kind. In fact, we don’t find all that many musicians as we have here in the OCO’s combination. They are quite unique together and this album shows it well. The elegance of the mix shows the evolution in maturity and quality of what Sérgio Walgood as accustomed us with. Only the best! This is a musician that will only be content with the best and even so, being restless as any good artist, there isn’t a good result that will be enough. Perfect in a group formation like OCO. This epic journey starts with a first attempt at understanding the reality of things with some welcomed initial naiveté. It’s a light way in! Then there is a somewhat unconscious realization that reality is not as simple as it seemed and it goes into a more complex state conducive to discoveries. Hollow is the track that takes us into the epicentre of this journey to distant lands from close proximity in their exotic becoming, so natural to the Portuguese. When the sound of the daf * starts rumbling it takes us onto the mystical membrane to which we had been approaching since the beginning, and we cross it when the singing that moves mountains resonates in its many harmonic frequencies, such as shown in Peter Brook’s rendition of Gurdjieff’s youth. The mountain is awaken! After the crossing of this deep ineffable revelation we’re guided to realize the need to remake the paradigm of our next society in Balance, we’re now entering new territory. Having first a set of non-verbal questions session to answer with some “words of advice for young people” from the wisdom of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama. After the revelation and setting forth of the basic principle for love among peoples, we go on the second part of the adventure, getting clearer and clearer about who we are, where we’re going and who we have to be. Open your eyes"! Sara Constança (Psara) Lisbon 20th of May, 2014 OCO MEMBERS: Alban Hall: Voice, Overtone Singing, Didgeridoo, Harmonium, Harmonica, Melodica, Ocarina, Flute and small percussions. Pedro Soares: Overtone Singing, Kotamo, Didgeridoo, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Jews Harp, Gong and small percussions. Rui Martins: Overtone Singing, Sitar, Portuguese Guitar, Sansula, Shruti-Box, Jews Harp and small percussions. Jorge Machado: Overtone Singing, Udu Drum, Water Drum, Darbuka, Tank Drum, Kalimba, Frame Drum, Bongós, Electronic Percussion and small percussions. Sérgio Walgood: Electronic Production, Semi Accoustic Guitar and small percussions. Web: http://www.ocomusic.com/ http://www.ocosounds.bandcamp.com/ http://www.soundcloud.com/ocosound http://www.reverbnation.com/ocosound https://www.youtube.com/user/ocosound Email: emailoco@gmail.com Booking: oco.management@gmail.com
