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CMU Approved
Approved: Orka
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 22 February 2016
Formed over a decade ago, what always made Orka stand out initially was their use of homemade instruments built out of old agricultural equipment, making for an interesting juxtaposition between rural life and electronic music. Though what makes them stand out once you’ve heard them play is how brilliantly versatile they are; a unique force in music.
Following on from 2014’s ‘Leipzig’ album, which took their sound more downbeat, new LP ‘Vað’ – out on 16 May – ups the pace again. Written by project mainstay Jen L Thomsen and former Dälek member Oktopus, two tracks so far released from the new record – ‘Dimmalætting’ and ‘Grind’ – see the Orka sound twisted into hardened, cathartic techno. Still based on those homemade instruments, the sounds are largely broken up into samples. The music remains distinctively Orka, while ushering in an exciting new twist in their sound.
“I think that after several albums and tours I felt the need to make a record which had fewer elements which I could focus on and explore”, Thomsen tells CMU. “‘Vað’ has been all about getting to the core of an idea or tune and stripping it down to its essentials. A few tracks on this album are made up from three parts only”.
“Also, only five people, including mastering engineer Matt Colton, have worked on the material compared to the seemingly endless credits list on Orka’s last album ‘Leipzig'”, he adds. “We wanted to avoid overproducing and rather stay true to the roughness and immediacy of the core ideas. This approach has given it an almost Neanderthal sense of texture and pace”.
Watch a new studio-based performance of ‘Grind’ by Thomsen and Francine Perry (aka La Leif) here:
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