Oceanvs Orientalis – Portrait Of The Obscure album track-by-track

The artist’s guide to the latest on Crosstown Rebels

Crosstown Rebels continues its spell of dance albums releases with a fresh one from Oceanvs Orientalis, Portrait Of The Obscure. After three superb singles on the label over the past four months, this nine-track LP offers a comprehensive exploration of the Istanbul-based talent’s rich, globally-infused, captivating sound, combining deep house, disco, funk and more.

Safak Oz Kutle – the man behind the Oceanvs Orientalis project – talks us through Portrait Of The Obscure track-by-track…

Pulse Antique:

I see this song as a combination of two contrasting elements: the merging of dramatic melodies with a groovy bassline, which encapsulates my inner world well. Also, as it provides an insight into the overall structure of the album, I decided to open the album with this song.

Ministry of Midnight:

This song is dedicated to our nocturnal adventures. Inspired by the quests, fears, and equally thrilling moments we all experience every night, whether in our dreams or on the streets, ‘Ministry of Midnight’ stands out as one of my favorite tracks on the album, thanks to its dynamic and instrument-rich structure.

Neurality:

Being one of the highest-energy tracks on the album, this song, also released as the third single, takes you on a journey with its straightforward and steady bassline and riffs.

IL Lupo:

Reminiscent of an Italian folktale about a wolf, ‘IL Lupo’ features live-recorded drums and vocals by Christopher Tooker, enhancing the song’s slightly dark and mystical atmosphere. Unlike previous tracks, ‘IL Lupo’ maintains a relatively slow pace, incorporating numerous synths, digital and analog effects, and modular synths in the background sequences.

Conritmo:

This song, which came to life three years ago with my dear friend Holden’s ukulele recordings, was essentially an experiment with a samba variation. It might be the fastest track on the album in terms of BPM.

Soul of Calypso:

I started working on this song around early 2020. It began with sampled dialogues from a TV performance by Brigitte Fontaine, and over the years, I added new sounds and recordings, finally completing it as one of the ready pieces after traversing many paths.

Heartpieces:

This song is the final work of our long-standing collaboration with İdil Mese. I created the underlying structures, while İdil wrote and performed the lyrics. The trumpets were played by Netam, and the bass guitar was played by my old friend Mehmet Özen. It was a beautiful collaboration.

Mercury:

This song references two firsts in my life: Charles Bukowski, who is one of the first writers with whom I could truly connect, andjungle and drum & bass, which were my first real experiences with electronic music styles. This song, combining both elements, is one of my favorites on the album.

Lanchi Biye:

This song is one of the best examples from the most vibrant era of Ethiopian jazz, and Tilahun Gessesse. I wanted to do something with this song from the moment I first heard it on a compilation album. A few years ago, I contacted the record publishing company and requested the remix rights, which they graciously granted. As a symbol of my enduring interest in world music and timeless hits, I added it to the end of the album.

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