Hoppy from Strata by Oscilliard
After persuading the outstanding percussionist Vince Vella to get on board with the project, I set about writing a track that would feature him on congas. Hoppy opens with Vince playing a Brazilian inspired rhythm. I am a great admirer of baroque music - composers Rameau, J. S. Bach and Purcell are favourites - and the bright, slightly inharmonic pluck of a harpsichord is a sound I love. The combination may seem incongruous, but in Hoppy and other tracks on the album, I blended this with the funk sound of the Clavinet.
Oscilliard make dance music, or more accurately, music made for dancing. Strata draws upon a global, kaleidoscopic range of dance for inspiration; from Balinese to American Lindy Hop, from medieval steps to cutting loose at a warehouse party, from the height of disco to arabesques at the ballet. The project is led by bassist and composer Justin Foster.