Chimera by The OM Sound
Watch the official video here: https://youtu.be/j7FSMgrun6E
The OM Sound has been releasing new music on a monthly basis since summer, and this latest release goes above and beyond in terms of production, musicianship, and ingenuity.
“Since the day we started writing Chimera, we knew we had to make a full production to go along with it,” said Orion Miller, bassist and multi-instrumentalist. “By the time we hit the studio, the vision for the music videos came together quickly, and now here we are. We’re releasing an official music video, a chord video, a circus feature video, and a behind the scenes video.”
Chimera is a two song EP, and it pays homage to pianist Marina Durham’s classical background by splitting one theme into two piano-driven movements. The First Movement is a frenetic jazz odyssey with constantly changing time signatures, held together by a repeating ostinato in 19/8. It culminates in a section of unison shots that builds into a shredding drum solo. The Second Movement slows down in tempo and leaves room for a heart-rending piano solo, while the rhythm section explores the subtleties of subdividing the quarter note in five. Despite the virtuosic complexity of the music, the musicians are relaxed into the groove, which allows their emotional expression to stay in the foreground.
Ben Jackson, director of photography for the videos, is a veteran film-maker in the Montreal scene. He helped to emphasize the melancholic yet driving feeling of the song by interpreting the music through the camera lens.
“The song Chimera is instrumental jazz, and given that freeform improvisation, I wanted to do a more artistic and abstract video to go along with it. That came together by having circus moves from Chloé Backflip, the band exploring abandoned industrial spaces, and tying it together with a thread of loss of space, and with scenes that were harsh but beautiful.”
Having Chloé Backflip’s interpretation of Chimera through her performance of aerial silks, “tissangle,” and German Wheel helped define the vision for the videos, and is a major feature.
“I’ve seen her perform before and I knew she was amazing, so I just asked her to do her thing,” said Marina. Her performances were filmed in an abandoned kiln and warehouse in North Montreal.
“It evolves, it tells a story!” drummer Varoujan Mardirossian said about the EP. “A lot of our songs do this - we don’t stick to a conventional mold - so if the song dictates that we want to change time signatures or feel, we go for it.”
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0Er17969LLBapu9FvHu7KT?si=9IqvaIFOQYOZVkkUH2I2EA&dl_branch=1
And on all other platforms!
Tracklist
| 1. | Chimera (First Movement) | 3:52 |
| 2. | Chimera (Second Movement) | 2:28 |
Credits
Video:
Director and videographer - Ben Zion Jackson.
Starring - Chloé Backflip.
Editor - Ben Zion Jackson.
Assistant Editor - Orion Miller.
Production Assistant - Tristan Charbonneau.
Special Thanks - Tobin Belanger, Razan Gamar Elkhatib, Zachary Wilkins, Construction Thivierge.
Music:
The OM Sound - Orion Miller (bass, loops), Marina Durham (piano, synth), Varoujan Mardirossian (drums).
Recording Engineer - Cole Barbour (Studio A, Montreal).
Mixing Engineer - Orion Miller.
Mastering Engineer - John Tucker.
www.theomsound.com
License
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