Hopeful vibes and dreamlike production from the one and only Big O. The new project I Belong Here reaches out once again – far beyond the confines of expectation.
Three tracks in full compile the parameters of this release, an ambient lo-fi groove and retro panning of beats and keys lighting up the simple joyous space for The Way It Seems. Humility and mood consistently walk this road together, Big O showcasing the very best of his cinematic audio mind, whilst creating a softly evolving landscape of contemplation that manages to hold interest throughout.
As we proceed, a more classic Hip Hop groove ensues, along with those same nostalgic film-like layers of gentle optimism and purity. The lo-fi mood and bigger beat of Fall accompanies a simple four-chord pattern through just over two minutes of playful panning and rising energy; waves of detail. Something like modest urgency hits as we get this humble siren sound and the subsequent strings. Suddenly the style is evocative, thought provoking – deeply moving as it naturally prompts the mind to wander and the body to calm. A beautiful piece of music for its serenity and implied scenery combined.
Finally, in keeping with the style but of its own creative threads regardless, He’s Only Just Begun offers a sublime meeting between warming bass, compressed rhythms, and underwater-like synths and sounds akin to the production legends of the nineties. As ever, the result is peaceful yet loaded with colour and wonder – a breezy listen but with an essential twist of character and subtly shifting intricacies; which helps maintain your attention as you listen in full.
Far too brief but ultimately beautiful in its representation of a creative producer with an unrivalled passion for the escapism and precision of finely-crafted soundscapes, I Belong Here speaks out not only on behalf of feeling at one with the world, but also of a composer and artist whose abilities are second to none in the contemporary music realm.
Download I Belong Here. Find Big O on Instagram & X.
