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CMU Approved
Approved: Oy
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 4 October 2010
The debut album by Oy, or Joy Frempong to use her unabbreviated name, ‘First Box Then Walk’, was released by Swiss label Creaked Records back in February, but only made it to my desk last week. Still, better late than never, because it’s quite a find. At 26 tracks in length, it’s not exactly short, but this allows Frempong space to indulge her wildly experimental temperament to its fullest.
Lyrically, the album is based on the childhood memories of her friends – the album’s title relates to a girl who used to throw punches as she walked around corners in case she ran into a dangerous creature. However, the lyrics born of these stories aren’t delivered in a childlike way, and when mixed with the sparse, experimental sounds of the music, this all makes for a bizarre atmosphere.