oOoOO – S/T CD-R EP (2010) [Disaro] // Grade: B

Because I still can’t get enough of SALEM’s sound, oOoOO’s 6-track CD-R released through Disaro in a painfully tiny quantity of 100, is right up my alley. It would seem “drag” is carving itself out a nice little niche fanbase this year and I’m not complaining. In comparison to SALEM, oOoOO, favor a brighter pop and shoegaze sound. Take the word “bright” loosely though, oOoOO are still dark, mysterious and elusive as hell.

The CD-R, which also serves as an EP, combines several of the tracks that have already been making the internet rounds. “NoSummr4u” samples Nocera’s freestyle track “Summertime, Summertime”, slowly blending the vocals convincingly enough to pass off oOoOO as a female-fronted act. “Pckrfcrmx” is another sample-heavy track and probably the most interesting remix of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” you’ll ever hear. A late 90s Timbaland style beat gives turns Gaga’s vocals into chopped-up, dark hip-hop.

But it isn’t just oOoOO’s smooth, effective sampling that stands out. The six tracks on the CD-R are all wildly, stylistically different. “No Shore” references balearic disco while “sedsumting” culls from classic trip-hop artists and “Mumbai” takes on African rhythms with a cinematic overtone. “Egyptynlvr” is the CD-R’s most accessible track, another vocal sample-heavy selection, this time one for fans of electronic pop.

While oOoOO still feel like another of these acts that are cryptic for the sake of it, the music you get with that package is well worth your time to search out. Since I started off this review with a SALEM comparison, I may as well end with another. After a ton of listens to this CD-R, oOoOO’s music has much more going for it in terms of variety, skill and innovation. When SALEM’s candle blows out, oOoOO are still going to be there, so long as you know where to look.

- Scrooge McFuck